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Wakegi-ae (Wakegi dish) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

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  • Kagawa Prefecture

    Wakegi-ae (Wakegi dish)

Wakegi-ae (Wakegi dish)

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  • Wakegi-ae (Wakegi dish)

    Image source: Agricultural Management Division, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Kagawa Prefecture

  • Main lore areas

    All of Kagawa Prefecture

  • Main ingredients used

    Wakegi, Octopus

  • History/origin/related events

    Since ancient times, farmers have often grown "wakegi" as a spring vegetable. Similar to "hoso-negi" (Japanese leek), an essential condiment for Udon noodles, and "shiro-negi" (Japanese leek), a familiar winter Nabe dish, Wakegi is an indispensable ingredient for the spring table. It is a hybrid of Japanese leek and onion, and has a softer aroma than Japanese leek and a sweeter flavor when cooked. It was named "wakegi" (meaning "parted leek") because buds grow from a bulb and branches out.
    The "Wakegi-ae" has been eaten at the time of the Dolls' Festival as a good-luck charm for the prosperity of offspring. On Teshima in Shozu County, there is a custom called "Wakegi no guruguru," in which wakegi is rolled up into bite-sized pieces without being cut, hoping that good things will continue to happen. The ingredients used in the dish include Mate-gai and Asari, which are also caught in spring, in place of octopus, making it a local dish that makes abundant use of seasonal ingredients from both the mountains and the sea.
    It is also called "Wakegi no Nuta-Ae" because it is made by stretching white miso paste with vinegar and other seasonings.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    It is said to be at its best around the time of Hina-matsuri (Girls' Festival), and was served as a side dish or a snack with sake. In the past, white miso made for Zoni at the end of the year was left and used for "Wakegi-ae".

  • How to eat

    Wash Wakegi and cut the white root and blue part into 3 cm lengths. Put the white root part into boiling water, then boil the green part, then drain in a colander. Salt the octopus, then quickly boil in boiling water and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put white miso paste, mustard paste, vinegar and sugar in a mortar and pestle, mix well, and once cooled, and add Wakegi.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)
    Even today, it is prepared at home and can also be found in restaurants such as Izakaya (Japanese-style pubs). Because it is nutritious and representative of the season, it is also used in school lunch menus.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Wakegi 1 bunch (180g)
  • Octopus (or Mate-gai or Asari) 150 g
  • [vinegared miso mixed with mustard] White miso paste 60 g
  • [vinegared miso mixed with mustard] Mustard paste 1／4 tsp.
  • [vinegared miso mixed with mustard] Vinegar 2 to 3 tbsp.
  • [vinegared miso mixed with mustard] Sugar 30g

How to cook

  • 1. Wash Wakegi, separate the white root from the green part, and cut both into 3 cm lengths.

  • 2. Boil the white root part in boiling water, then the green part, and let cool in a colander. (Cool in a colander. You can also roast in a little water.)

  • 3. Salt the octopus, remove the salt, add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, boil briefly and cut into bite-size pieces. For Mate-gai, remove the sliminess and sand in thin salt water, then roast the Mate-gai and sprinkle with sake.

  • 4. Put white miso paste, mustard paste, vinegar and sugar in a mortar and pestle, mix well, cool and add Wakegi.

provider : Agricultural Management Division, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Kagawa Prefecture

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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