Takenoko jiru(Bamboo Shoot Soup) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Nagano Prefecture

Takenoko jiru(Bamboo Shoot Soup)

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Main lore areas

Hokushin Region
Main ingredients used

Bamboo shoots, mackerel, onion, tofu, eggs, and miso

History/origin/related events

Takenoko jiru(Bamboo shoot soup) is a miso soup that uses Nemagari bamboo. It is a regional dish eaten in the Hokushin Region and Niigata Prefecture's Joetsu region. Nemagari bamboo is the young shoot of the sasa bamboo called "chimazasa" and is picked in mountainous regions. Because the bamboo shoots can be picked only during the short period at the height of early summer, these bamboo shoots arrive on the market in small quantities and are scarce and difficult to obtain. They are characteristic of regions with heavy snowfall and are said to have a good flavor without too much of a bitter taste. Some regions also use hachiku bamboo shoots. As for Takenoko jiru(Bamboo shoot soup), an indispensable ingredient is canned mackerel in brine. Canned mackerel became popular during the mid-1950s to mid-1960s. It was found to be convenient in ocean-less Nagano Prefecture, and it was formerly an expensive product. Putting mackerel into miso soup is a way of eating that is characteristic of the region. Add oil and flavor to a simple miso soup, and a good taste will develop that is indispensable to a bamboo shoot soup. The dish will be a fully delicious Takenoko jiru(Bamboo shoot soup) with just bamboo shoots and canned mackerel. Sometimes, put in something like onions, carrots, thin deep-fried slices of tofu, tofu, or beaten eggs.
Opportunities and times of eating habits

Nemagari bamboo is harvested in early summer, from May to June. It does not have much of a bitter taste. Thus, if the bamboo shoots were just harvested, you can eat them by peeling and boiling them without removing the bitterness. When Nemagari bamboos arrive on the market, local supermarkets will be lined up with canned mackerel. One can easily buy bottled or canned bamboo shoots or use pickled and preserved ones, so one can enjoy bamboo shoots throughout the year.
How to eat

Peel bamboo shoots and cut off the hard parts of the joints. Slice the bamboo shoots and put them into a pot. Add canned mackerel and ingredients such as onions and carrots. Simmer everything in water and sake. When the bamboo shoots are cooked, add tofu and stir in miso. When the pot begins to boil, add a beaten egg.
Depending on the region and the household, there are various ways to make the dish, from a simple miso soup with just bamboo shoots and canned mackerel to a miso soup full of ingredients.
As time passes, a strong bitter taste develops in the bamboo shoots such that it is said that "If you set aside a bamboo shoot for one night, the bamboo shoot will return to the mountain." When one buys some bamboo shoots, one cooks them the same day.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
Even today, the dish is often made in every household, and parents pass it on to their children. One can obtain Nemagari bamboo at a roadside station or directly from a local farm.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

Nemagari bamboo shoots 500g
Canned mackerel in brine 1 can
Water 4 cups
Onion 1／2 of a bulb
Tofu 1／2 of a block
Egg 1 egg
Miso 4 tablespoons
Sake 1 cup

How to cook

1. Peel the bamboo shoots. Cut off the hard parts near the joints. (Remove the joints.)
2. Put the water, sake, bamboo shoots, onion, and canned mackerel-in-brine into a pot and bring the ingredients to a boil. Stir in the miso.
3. Cut the tofu into cubes of a size that you prefer. Put the tofu and miso into the pot. After that, you can put in a beaten egg and relish the soup.

provider : Let's Connect with the Future. Grandma's Cooking. Mom's Cooking. (Editorial committee for records of Iiyama food culture and geography)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

Takenoko jiru(Bamboo Shoot Soup) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Nagano Prefecture

Takenoko jiru(Bamboo Shoot Soup)

Main lore areas

Main ingredients used

History/origin/related events

Opportunities and times of eating habits

How to eat

Efforts for Preservation and Succession

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

How to cook