# Imotako ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Imotako

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Prefecture wide

## Main Ingredients Used
Octopus, Japanese Taro

## History, Origin, and Related Events
‘Imotako’ is a simple local cuisine which makes use of both land and sea produce. The result is a stewed dish consisting of fresh octopus caught at the Seto Inland Sea and Japanese taro.Whilst long-armed octopus is typically used for the dish, there are various other types of octopus you can also catch at the Seto Inland Sea including the common octopus and the webfoot octopus. As the octopus living in the Seto Inland Sea are fed nutritious feed including a combination of shellfish, shrimp and crabs, the octopus are said to be sweet and more flavourful. Furthermore, as the octopus contain a good balance of protein, vitamins and taurine, they are also able to alleviate fatigue, and this has led to them being widely used as an ingredient in cooking since long ago.Japanese taro is grown throughout the prefecture and steamed taro was a common snack given to children in the past. Grown on the edges of paddies, Japanese taro also became known as the ‘paddy potato’. Unlike sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, Japanese taro grow and multiply from a mother tuber. This has therefore led to them being served during festivities or on auspicious days such as New Year’s Day as a symbol of descendant prosperity.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Whilst Imodako was enjoyed on auspicious days such as New Year’s Day or during weddings in the past, the dish has now become common on dinner tables.

## How to Eat
Blanch the octopus after rubbing it with salt. Cut the Japanese taro into small pieces and remove its slimy texture by adding salt. In a pot, add seasonings, cut octopus and taro then stew the ingredients. The completed dish can be enjoyed as a side dish or as an appetizer for alcohol.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Apart from being found on household dinner tables, you can also order imotako at restaurants. In fact, octopus is so commonly enjoyed that the Kanagawa Prefecture’s consumption of octopus ranks high within the country.

## Ingredients
- Japanese taro: 800g
- Octopus: 500g
- Stock: 300ml
- Dark soy sauce: 40ml
- Sugar: 50g
- Mirin: 1 tablespoon
- Japanese cooking sake: 1 tsp

## Recipe
1. 1. Rub octopus with salt and blanch. Cut into pieces.
2. 2. Peel taro and cut into small pieces. Add salt to remove sliminess.
3. 3. Add stock and seasoning into pot and bring to a boil. Add octopus and taro. Cook on low heat until taro becomes soft.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provider: Agricultural Management Division, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Kagawa Prefecture

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