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Nasu-iri ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

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  • Miyagi Prefecture

    Nasu-iri

Nasu-iri

Related images
Please refer to “Links and Copyrights” for information on secondary use of images.(Term of use)
  • Nasu-iri
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    Image Source : Miyagi Prefecture Council of Dietary Improvement Promoters

  • Nasu-iri
    DOWNLOAD

    Image Source : Miyagi Prefecture Council of Dietary Improvement Promoters

  • Main lore areas

    All of Miyagi Prefecture

  • Main ingredients used

    Eggplants, Abura-fu (Deep fried flour gluten cake)

  • History/origin/related events

    Eggplant is in season from summer to fall, and the types grown in different regions are quite different.
    It is said that eggplant cultivation began in Miyagi Prefecture around 1590, during the reign of Date Masamune, the feudal lord. It is believed that an eggplant brought back from Hakata by one of Date's vassals adapted to the Tohoku climate over a long period of time and took on a unique shape. It is called "Sendai naganasu (long eggplant)," and is used in a variety of dishes, such as pickles and stir-fries.
    Eggplant is a vegetable with high water content, and its nutritional value lies in a type of polyphenol called nasunin, which is found in the skin. Nasunin, an anthocyanin pigment, has strong antioxidant properties and is said to have a strong ability to suppress active oxygen, which is a source of cancer and lifestyle-related diseases. It also reduces the absorption of cholesterol.
    The nutritious eggplant stir fried with its skin intact is called Nasu-iri. It is a simple dish made by stir frying together with Abura-fu or Aburaage (deep-fried bean curd) in soy sauce, and has long been made as a reserve dish in Miyagi Prefecture. In addition to stir-frying with soy sauce, each household has its own way of cooking it: adding sugar and Mirin(sweet rice wine), stir-frying with Miso, adding walnuts, and so on.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    Eggplant is often eaten from summer to fall, when it is in season. However, since eggplant is distributed year-round in modern times, it is a staple dish that can be found on the dinner table year-round. Sendai's stir-fried eggplant is a simple dish of shredded eggplant stir-fried in oil, seasoned with soy sauce and Sake, and sometimes with the addition of green shiso , making it an appetizing dish.

  • How to eat

    Nasu-iri is a local dish eaten throughout Japan. In Miyagi Prefecture, chopped eggplant and Abura-fu are stir-fried, seasoned with soy sauce, and thickened with potato starch at the end. In some regions, it is stir-fried with Myoga(Japanese ginger) and Shiso(Japanese basil). It is often made in large quantities, stored in the refrigerator, and served as a side dish.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
    Home cooking is passed down from parents to children in each family. The cooking method also differs from household to household.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Eggplants 8 (about 300g)
  • Abura-fu 1／2
  • Vegetable oil 2 tbsp.
  • Dashi (=Japanese soup stock) 3 tbsp.
  • Soy source 2 1／2 tbsp.
  • Mirin (Sweet rice wine) 2 tbsp.
  • Sake 1 tbsp.
  • Katakuriko(=potato starch) 2 tsp.
  • Water 2 tsp.
  • Chili powder a little

How to cook

  • 1. Cut eggplant into small pieces and soak in water to remove the scum.

  • 2. Cut Abura-fu into 1 cm pieces. (Instead of Abrura-fu, shredded deep-fried bean curd may be added. Shredded onion and green shiso (Japanese basil) can also be added.)

  • 3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, stir fry 1 and 2.

  • 4. When 3 becomes soft, add Dashi (Japanese soup stock), soy sauce, mirin and sake, and finally thicken with Katakuriko (potato starch).

  • 5. Sprinkle with chili pepper to taste.

provider : “Nakada Shunsai-ki” (Nakada-town),“My taste, your taste – Recipes of Ishikoshi taste to convey”

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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