# Uzumi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Uzumi

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Fukuyama City

## Main Ingredients Used
burdock root, taro, carrot, radish, shiitake mushroom, matsutake mushroom, tofu, small shrimp, chicken, sea bream, rice

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Uzumi" is said to have originated in the Edo period (1603-1867), when people buried the ingredients under the rice to make it look more simple. Shrimp, sea bream, taro and other vegetables cooked in broth are placed in a bowl, and rice is served on top of the broth. In the Chugoku region, there are other "burying" food cultures outside of Fukuyama City, such as "Uzume-meshi" in the Iwami region of Shimane Prefecture and "Bizen-bara-zushi" in Okayama Prefecture. Until the 1960s, it was often eaten as a dish to celebrate the autumn harvest. Ingredients vary from region to region, with taro, carrots, matsutake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, sea bream, and chicken being the most commonly used. Dashi broth also varies from region to region. In the southern part of the country facing the Seto Inland Sea, iriko is used, while dried shiitake mushrooms are used in the mountainous northern part of the country.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Until the 1960s, it was eaten as a dish to celebrate the autumn harvest. Since then, opportunities for eating it have decreased, but are gradually increasing as it is now served in restaurants and at school lunches.

## How to Eat
Cut each ingredient (burdock, taro, carrot, radish, shiitake mushroom, matsutake mushroom, tofu, shrimp, chicken, sea bream, etc.) into bite-size pieces, prepare them by boiling or broiling, and serve in a bowl. The ingredients are then boiled or broiled in advance and served in a bowl. Today, "Uzumi" has been incorporated into various genres of cuisine, such as "Uzumi ice" with fruit buried in the ice, Uzumi soft-serve ice cream with local ingredients, and Uzumi ramen noodles with ingredients buried under the noodles.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Overview of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, and modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)Uzumi is served in school lunches in the city as part of local history studies; in 2010, the "Fukuyama Citizens' Council for Creating Food Brands" was established and began publicity activities for local cuisine, including "Uzumi". The council promotes "Uzumi" as a happy food to be eaten while digging for happiness and treasure, and the number of restaurants serving "Uzumi" in the city has increased.

## Ingredients
- Sea bream (fillet with skin): 4 pieces (30g per piece)
- sake: a little
- salt: a little
- Shrimps: 8
- taro: 2 pieces
- carrot: 1／2
- [A] Bonito soup stock: 100cc
- [A] Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine): Less than 1 tbsp.
- [A] Dark soy sauce: Less than 1 tbsp.
- Dried shiitake mushroom: 1
- [B] Shiitake mushroom stock: 15cc
- [B] Sugar: 2／3 tbsp.
- [B] dark soy sauce: a little
- Thick fried tofu: 200g
- chopped nori: a pinch
- yuzu: a pinch
- cooked rice: 4 servings
- [C] Bonito soup stock: 500cc
- [C] Sake: 4 tbsp.
- [C] Mirin (sweet cooking rice wine): 2 tsp.
- [C] light soy sauce: 2 tsp.

## Recipe
1. 1. Sprinkle the sea bream with sake and salt, and cook in a toaster oven covered with aluminum foil at 500-600w for about 5 minutes, until the inside of the bream is cooked through and the skin is browned.
2. 2. Boil the shrimp in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, removing the back and shell, and peel off the shell.
3. 3. Peel taro and carrot and cut into 5mm chunks.
4. 4. Put 3 and [A] in a pot and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Soak 2 in the simmering water for about 10 minutes.
5. 5. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water and cut into thin strips. Use 50 to 100 cc of water as needed. You can add the reserved water to the soup stock.
6. 6. Put 5 and [B] in a pan and simmer over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. 7. Cut thick fried bean curd into dice and fry them in a frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until they are cooked through.
8. 8. Add [C] to the pan and heat to make sauce. Do not boil down too much.
9. 9. Put 1, 4, 6, and 7 in a bowl, top with rice and pour 8 on top.
10. 10. Put chopped nori and needle-shaped yuzu on top of the rice in step 9.

## Provider Information
provider : Fukuyama City Council of Dietary Improvement Promoters

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