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

**Cuisine Name**: Ukogi no Kiri-Ae(Sliced and dressed araliad)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Okitama Region, Yonezawa City

## Main Ingredients Used
Ukogi(=Araliad), Miso, Bonito flakes

## History, Origin, and 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.

## Ingredients
- Ukogi(=Araliad): 50g
- Miso paste: 15g
- Bonito flakes: 5g

## Recipe
1. 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. 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. 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 Information
provider : Hiroko Saito, Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa University of Nutrition Sciences

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