Skip to main content.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Character Size
Standard
Large
Menu
  1. Home
  2. Policies
  3. Food Export
  4. kyodo_ryori
  5. SEARCH&MENU
  6. Yamagata
  7. Ukogi no Kiri-Ae(Sliced and dressed araliad)

Ukogi no Kiri-Ae(Sliced and dressed araliad) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Yamagata Prefecture

    Ukogi no Kiri-Ae(Sliced and dressed araliad)

Ukogi no Kiri-Ae(Sliced and dressed araliad)

＊画像はイメージです（掲載画像とレシピの内容は異なる場合があります）。
Related images
Please refer to “Links and Copyrights” for information on secondary use of images.(Term of use)

  • Main lore areas

    Okitama Region, Yonezawa City

  • Main ingredients used

    Ukogi(=Araliad), Miso, Bonito flakes

  • History/origin/related events

    "Kiri-Ae", which is to finely slice "Ukogi(=Araliad)" and dress it with miso paste, has been a common cooking method in the Okitama region, where there are the largest number of "Ukogi(=Araliad)" hedges. It is said that Youzan Uesugi, the ninth lord of the Yonezawa Domain, recommended planting "Ukogi(=Araliad)" as a hedge for his house, and the spiny branches served as a rose wire to prevent crime, and the shoots sprouted from spring to early summer.
    It is also said to have been used as a tonic in Chinese medicine since the Heian period (794-1185) and was known as a nourishing food. Most of the "Hime-ukogi" variety eaten in the Okitama region centering on Yonezawa City has few spines and its leaves are soft.
    "Ukogi(=Araliad)" has a unique flavor and bitterness, and is used to make "ukogi gohan (rice with ukogi)," "ukogi tempura," and "ukogi ohitashi (boiled ukogi)," in addition to "Ukogi no Kiri-Ae," a dish that heralds the arrival of spring on the dinner table.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    The best time to eat "Ukogi(=Araliad)" is in spring when it is tender and budding (around May), but it grows quickly, and when it is harvested, new shoots will sprout from it, so it can be eaten until autumn. Locals sometimes ask their neighbors to let them pick just enough to eat from their hedges.

  • How to eat

    The unique bittersweet, cool and refreshing flavor of "Ukogi(=Araliad)" attracts many people. The taste of "Ukogi(=Araliad)" is described in the local dialect as "kidoi".
    Boil the "Ukogi(=Araliad)" and soak it in water to remove the scum and make it tastier. The boiled "Ukogi(=Araliad)" is topped with grilled miso and chopped into small pieces. It is also served over rice like furikake (sprinkled on rice) or as a snack in a small bowl with sake.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    Restaurants that sell local cuisine serve "Ukogi(=Araliad)" dishes when it is in season. In Yonezawa City, "Ukogi(=Araliad)" is a plant with a long history and tradition. In elementary schools, "Ukogi(=Araliad)" dishes such as "ukogi gohan (rice with ukogi)" are served at school lunch with a story about Lord Takayama to pass on to the next generation. Sometimes, a hedge is planted at the school and children pick and prepare it themselves.
    In Yonezawa City, a "Ukogi Kakine no Kai" was established to promote "Ukogi(=Araliad)". The "Ukogi Kakine no Kai" is working with a university professor who is researching "Ukogi(=Araliad)" as a functional food to discover new values and connect the food culture.

RECIPE

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • Ukogi(=Araliad) 50g
  • Miso paste 15g
  • Bonito flakes 5g

How to cook

  • 1. Boil water in a pot and boil the "Ukogi(=Araliad)", then immediately take it out of cold water so that the color does not deteriorate.

  • 2. Mix the miso with the bonito flakes, knead well, and spread thinly on a wooden spatula. Careful not to burn the surface of the miso to create an aromatic flavor, and then remove from the wooden spatula.

  • 3. Place the boiled and thoroughly drained "Ukogi(=Araliad)" on a cutting board and place the grilled miso on top of it. Chop the "Ukogi(=Araliad)" into small pieces with a knife starting from the edges, mixing the "Ukogi(=Araliad)" and miso as you cut.

provider : Hiroko Saito, Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa University of Nutrition Sciences

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

Top of This Page

MAFF Social Media

  • MAFF Facebook
  • MAFF YouTube

MAFF

Address : 1-2-1,Kasumigaseki,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo 100-8950,Japan.

TEL : 03-3502-8111

Enterprise identification number : 5000012080001

Copyright : Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries