# Nina ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Nina

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
The entire prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Taina and uchimame

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Nina is a local dish made by boiling salted vegetable leaves and was eaten as a common household dish in Niigata Prefecture. Taina is mainly used. Taina was introduced from China in the early Meiji period and was bred to be adapted to Niigata. It is widely used as one of the Nagaoka vegetables. Depending on the region, nozawana or radish leaves are used as well. Nozawana is used in the Uonuma and Joetsu regions. A long time ago, each household would pickle them in autumn and eat them during winter when there were no green vegetables.For salted taina, remove the salt before cooking. Cut the desalted taina into bite-sized pieces, stir-fry in oil, and simmer in dashi stock, soy sauce, or miso. The standard ingredient added inside is uchimame, but other ingredients that can be put inside include carrots, burdock root, and fried tofu. Uchimame is made by pounding soybeans and crushing them into flat pieces. Wash the soybeans, soak them in lukewarm water at about 40 degrees for 10 minutes, drain the water in a colander, and place them on a hard board or stone mill (or flat stone). Pound each one with a mallet to a thickness of 2 to 3 mm. Unlike when they are whole beans, they are thinner and cook quickly, so they are also used in stews, stir-fries, vinegared dishes, miso soup, and so on.In addition, the dashi stock varies depending on the household, such as using dried sardines, dried bonito flakes, or dried scallops, and the single term “nina” can refer to many different variations, from the cooking method to the selection of ingredients.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In Niigata Prefecture, the fields are completely covered in snow in winter, making it impossible to harvest any vegetables. For this reason, it seems that since ancient times, people had no choice but to rely on dried leaves and salted vegetables for green vegetables in winter, and in that sense, this dish retains its traditional flavor.

## How to Eat
Boil the salted taina and once it is boiled, turn off the heat and leave for about an hour to remove the salt. The key is to leave just the right amount of salt, as removing too much salt will make it tasteless. For seasoning, soy sauce or miso is often used, and sometimes sake lees are added.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Although it is less common to make salted taina at home than before, “nina” is still made and eaten. Taina and salted taina can be obtained from supermarkets in Niigata or directly from the farm, and in recent years, desalted “taina boiled in water” has been developed, making it easier to make nina. Additionally, in Nagaoka City, February 7th is designated as “Nina Day”, and classes are held on how to make nina.

## Ingredients
- Salted taina: 500g
- Uchimame: 50g
- Salad oil: 3 tbsp.
- Dashi stock: An appropriate amount
- Miso: Just a little

## Recipe
1. 1. Boil the salted nina to remove the salt. Once boiled, turn off the heat and leave for about an hour.
2. 2. Cut the drained 1 into 3 cm pieces, stir-fry in oil, add dashi stock, and simmer. If you like, you can add fried tofu, taro, carrots, etc.
3. 3. Add the uchimame and miso to 2 and season.

## Provider Information
provider : “Niigata’s Side Dishes: Local Ingredients and Dishes” (Author: Niigata Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Committee, Publisher: Kaikosha)

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