# Imobera Azuki ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Imobera Azuki

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Ino-machi

## Main Ingredients Used
Imobera, azuki beans

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Known for being the production area of Tosa washi paper, Ino-machi is located in the central part of the prefecture. In this area, people have since long ago called dried sweet potatoes, cherished as the taste of winter, “hera.” After thoroughly boiling whole sweet potatoes for many hours, they are hung up to dry as-is, and once the outsides have begun to dry, they are sliced into rounds and dried again; the finished product is called “yudebera” or “nibera.” “Imobera azuki” is a confection local to Ino-machi, in which yudebera and azuki beans are boiled with sugar. It is distinct for its sticky texture and fluffy, unsophisticated sweetness.In areas outside of Ino-machi, yudebera are commonly called “higashiyama.” Higashiyama may be eaten as-is or slightly toasted for an even more superb taste. Higashiyama’s moist texture and rich sweetness make it popular as a prefectural product. “Imobera azuki” is a name limited to Ino-machi, but it is also deeply familiar to the people of Kochi Prefecture.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the past, sweet potatoes were a supplemental food to rice and wheat, and made into dried sweet potatoes. Since dried sweet potatoes last for a long time, they have since long ago been eaten throughout the year as preserved foods. The night before going to do farm work, people would soak yudebera in a pot filled with water, which would absorb the water content to its core and be softened the next morning. This became a snack or lunch eaten during a break in farm work.Sugar is added when making “imobera azuki,” but in the past when sugar was scarce, muscovado was used. Because of that, it was a different color from the “imobera azuki” of today, and it is said that it appeared completely black.

## How to Eat
Wash the yudebera well and soak in water. Boil the azuki beans in water, strain and dispose of the water, removing the scum, and simmer on low heat. At this time, take care that the beans don’t fall apart while cooking. Heat the yudebera without removing it from the water, let it cook thoroughly until it softens, and slightly mash it. Add the azuki beans to the mashed yudebera, briefly boil and add salt and sugar to finish.Each household’s preference tends to come out in the amount of sugar used, but if making it to be eaten as a snack, it can be enjoyed with a generous amount of sugar added.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Opportunities to make it at home have now dwindled, but one can buy it at supermarkets and direct sales points.

## Ingredients
- Yudebera: 300g
- Azuki (boiled): 150g
- Sugar: 130g
- Salt: a little

## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the yudebera well and soak in water with a pinch of salt for 4-5 hours.
2. 2. Boil the azuki beans from scratch, then strain and discard water and scum. Simmer well on low heat, taking care that the beans don’t split.
3. 3. Heat 1 without removing it from the water, and boil until it softens. Mash until it’s a little pulpy.
4. 4. Add half the sugar to the mashed sweet potatoes, then add the azuki. Boil briefly, add the remaining sugar, and cook it so it doesn’t harden too much.

## Provider Information
provider : “Oishii Fudo Kochi Taberu koto wa Manabu koto” (Kochi Prefecture)

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