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Yatara ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Nagano Prefecture

    Yatara

Yatara

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  • Yatara

    Image provided by: Delicious Shinshu Food Net

  • Main lore areas

    Hokushin Region

  • Main ingredients used

    Cucumber, eggplant, myoga ginger, green pepper, and miso-pickled radish

  • History/origin/related events

    “Yatara” is a mixture of finely chopped vegetables and pickles, similar to a “furikake” (sprinkles) of summer vegetables. It is a local dish eaten mainly in the Hokushin region and is a popular summer dish. Summer vegetables such as myoga ginger, eggplant, botan pepper, and miso-pickled radish are chopped, mixed together, and served over warm rice. “Botan pepper ” is a green pepper than has been cultivated in the Hokushin region such ancient times, and is said to have been named botan pepper because it looks like a peony flower. It was recognized as a traditional vegetable of Shinshu in 2008. The crunchiness of the vegetables is accentuated by the spiciness of the botan pepper, and I could eat rice if there was yatara even in the hot summer months when I didn’t have much of an appetite. Anyway, it is said that the name of this dish, "yatara", originated from the fact that it contains a mixture of many vegetables that are finely chopped. The taste of yatara is“determined by the seasonal vegetables“, “miso pickles“, and “the skill of the chef with a knife“. Shinshu Miso" is a characteristic light-colored, dry rice miso made from malted rice and soybeans, which is used to make miso pickles, giving them a deep flavor. It is the most produced and eaten miso in Japan, accounting for more than 40% of the country's total miso production and consumption.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    Yatara is a dish made with plenty of vegetables and is an indispensable side dish during the summer months. It is also a way to use up abundant summer vegetables from the harvest, and is made with freshly harvested vegetables and served at every meal. Chili peppers and myoga are said to be effective at stimulating the appetite, and the potassium contained in summer vegetables is said to help in cooling the body, thus preventing summer fatigue.

  • How to eat

    You can create your own variations of yatara by using the vegetables you have at home. Sticky vegetables such as okra and nagaimo potatoes can be added, pickled preparations of daikon such as takuan and nukazuke can be substituted for miso pickles, and you can also enhance the flavor of yatara by adding soy sauce and dried bonito flakes. Yatara goes well not only with rice, but also with somen noodles and cold tofu.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
    Even today, yatara is often made in many households in the summer. Recently, it has also become available at restaurants located at tourist spots, where they can be easily enjoyed.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Cucumber 1／2
  • Round eggplant 1／2
  • Myoga ginger 1～2
  • Green pepper 1
  • Miso-pickled daikon 20g
  • Salt As needed

How to cook

  • 1. Mince the round eggplant and soak in water with a pinch of salt to remove the scum.

  • 2. Mince the cucumber, myoga ginger, and green pepper. Combine with 1 and squeeze well to remove water.

  • 3. Combined with minced miso-pickled daikon.

  • 4. Squeeze 3 well to remove water and serve.

  • 5. ※ Japanese ginger shoots, which grow around May, are delicious when served minced with miso pickles, okra, and zucchini.

provider : Let's Connect with the Future. Grandma's Cooking. Mom's Cooking. (Editorial committee for records of Iiyama food culture and geography), 100 Year Recipes to Pass on to Your Great-grandchildren - Hiragana Cooking" (Shinshu Hiragana Cooking Popularization Team)

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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