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Katemeshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Saitama Prefecture

    Katemeshi

Katemeshi

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  • Main lore areas

    Chichibu Region, Saitama City, Hiki District, Iruma Area

  • Main ingredients used

    Rice, Vegetables

  • History/origin/related events

    “Katemeshi” is a well-established local dish in Saitama Prefecture, and especially the Chichibu region. This dish seems to have been created by adding various ingredients to rice in order to increase the amount that could be eaten, particularly in areas with relatively low levels of rice production. It was difficult for rice to be a diet mainstay in areas unsuitable for rice cultivation. In fact, even in areas that were suitable for rice cultivation, rice remained a valuable cash crop for small farmers, who used it to pay rent to their landowners. Because of this, once the harvested rice had been divided up for weddings and funerals, the remainder was often sold by the farmers. As a result, to increase the bulk of the leftover rice scraps that could be eaten, a dish was created in which seasoned and boiled vegetables such as potatoes and daikon radish were added. The Katemeshi which is served at school lunches in the northern part of Saitama Prefecture is made of vinegared rice mixed with regional ingredients. By contrast, in the southern part of the Prefecture, which includes Saitama City, Katemeshi is made by mixing either white or light brown rice with “zuiki” (dried taro stems). In the Chichibu region, adding “zuiki” to rice is also standard practice. Thus, one of Katemeshi’s characteristics is that the flavor of the rice and the ingredients that are added to it vary depending on the region and the family serving it. Although it is popular today as a home-cooked meal, the fact that Katemeshi is made with soy sauce, which was known among farmers as a seasoning for “hare no hi” (special occasions), indicates that it was actually a dish mostly eaten for special occasions. In fact, it is said to have been cooked more often than “Gomoku Chirashi”, another rice dish eaten on “hare no hi”. Especially in urban areas, it was eaten for “hare no hi” in the same way as sushi.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    It is often prepared as an event food for “Yama no Kami” (a day in January when people do not work in the mountains and refrain from entering them), the Peach Festival, the eighty-eight day from the beginning of spring, the beginning of the Bon Festival, the feast day of Ebisu, one of the seven gods of good fortune, and other such occasions.

  • How to eat

    Stir-fry vegetables such as dried shiitake mushrooms and zuki rehydrated in water, carrots, daikon radishes, etc., along with deep-fried tofu and “shirataki” konjac noodles. Simmer everything in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. Mixthe simmered ingredients with white rice, vinegared rice or brown rice. The Chichibu region is the longstanding home of the “Sansai Katemeshi” to which wild mountain vegetables have been added.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
    This dish is commonly made at home and can also be enjoyed at restaurants across the Prefecture.

RECIPE

Ingredients (for 6 people)

  • Rice 450g (3 cups)
  • Daikon radish 150g
  • Burdock root 50g
  • Carrots 50g
  • Dried shiitake mushrooms 4, 5 pcs.
  • Deep-fried tofu 2 pcs.
  • Oil 1 tablespoon
  • Water 100cc
  • Soy sauce 3 tablespoons
  • Sake, mirin, sugar 1 tablespoon of each
  • Salt 2-3 teaspoons

How to cook

  • 1. Wash the rice and soak it in water for about 30 minutes before cooking. Since the water is colder in winter, it is a good idea to extend the soaking time.

  • 2. Cut the carrots and radishes into small strips. Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms in water and cut them into strips. Chop the burdock roots into small pieces and drain off the scum.

  • 3. Stir-fry all the ingredients in oil, then add the seasonings and simmer the mixture.

  • 4. Add the cooked rice to the mixture in step 3.

provider : Recipe provided by: Inheritor of Hometown Tastes: Saitama Hometown Traditional Cuisine Collection

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

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