# Hiyajiru (cold soup) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Hiyajiru (cold soup)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Central region

## Main Ingredients Used
dried sardines, tofu, cucumbers, eggplant, barley rice, green perilla, Japanese ginger

## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Hiyajiru(cold soup)" is a local delicacy of the plains in Miyazaki Prefecture. It has become increasingly popular in recent years as information about the food culture has spread throughout the region. The soup is made using fresh and abundant seafood from the Hyuga Sea, which is rich in nature and faces the Kuroshio Current, as well as vegetables and crops that benefit from the region's sunny climate. The dish is said to have originated when farmers ate barley rice topped with raw miso paste and sprinkled with water during hot summers. Barley rice was made by cooking whole barley, adding water to soften it, and then cooking it again, which suggests that rice was very valuable to the farmers of the region during the era of the feudal government, particularly due to the mountainous terrain of Miyazaki Prefecture.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This dish was traditionally passed down from generation to generation as a simple and quick way to nourish and restore strength to farmers during hard summer work, even when they lacked time or appetite. Although it has become less popular in recent years, it was often served as the final dish of a banquet when relatives gathered at a farmhouse or an old family home during the "Bon Festival".

## How to Eat
First grill fish such as sea bream or horse mackerel. Break the meat into small pieces and carefully remove the bones. Then, grind white sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle along with miso paste. Spread the paste evenly on the inside of the mortar and lay the fish upside down on a charcoal fire. Sear the surface of the miso paste until slightly charred. Next, mix the miso with broth to make a thicker soup than regular miso soup. Keep the soup cold and serve it over hot barley rice with small pieces of cucumber. Sometimes, this dish is made with roasted dried sardines.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)In Japan, this food item is renowned as a healthy choice and has been featured on TV and in magazines as a summer fatigue prevention menu. It is also served as an airplane meal and is ideal during hot summer months when appetites are low. Some restaurants have even introduced cold soup, which is made using carefully selected ingredients and creative cooking techniques.

## Ingredients
- Small dried sardine: 50g
- Miso paste: 110g
- Sesame seeds: 40g
- Peanuts: 50g
- Tofu: 1／2
- Cucumber: 1
- Shiso leaves: 2 or 3
- Japanese ginger: A pinch
- Ginger: A pinch
- Barley rice: 6 cups

## Recipe
1. 1. Remove the head and guts from the small dried sardines and saute in a frying pan.
2. 2. Lightly fry sesame seeds.
3. 3. Mix small dried sardines, sesame, and peanuts in a mortar and pestle. Add miso and mix well.
4. 4. Add tofu and stir. (Mash the tofu with your hands to break it up and mix.)
5. 5. Add 600 ml of hot water cooled to human skin temperature to step 3 and dissolve to a thicker consistency than miso soup.
6. 6. Add sliced cucumber, chopped green perilla, Japanese ginger and ginger.
7. 7. Serve over rice.
8. 8. Step 3 can also be made by spreading a thin layer of aluminum and browning it in a toaster.

## Provider Information
provider : "Local Cuisine Collection" (JA Miyazaki Prefecture Council of Women's Organizations)

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