# Hansukedofu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Hansukedofu

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Osaka City

## Main Ingredients Used
Grilled tofu, hansuke, green onion

## History, Origin, and Related Events
This dish is made by stewing tofu with the head of a grilled eel. It appears in the Kamigata rakugo "Yusanbune" and it's thought that even the general population from ancient times were familiar with this dish.The eel's head is called Hansuke. There are various theories surrounding its origin, such as one strainer of eel's head used to be sold for 50 sen (1／2 yen), so it came to be called Hansuke (han meaning half) of one yen (called ensuke). Another theory is that a man named Hansuke sold the head of eels as well.In Osaka, when making kabayaki (grilled eel), the eel is grilled with a sauce and the body cut open, while the head is attached. The head is then removed after grilling. Although the head is cut off, it was most likely still a food for sale at low price because the flavor of the sauce was already soaked in. When hansuke is stewed with tofu and green onions in a dashi soup stock, an even richer and deeper dashi stock is made that is incredibly delicious. You can even enjoy the small amount of meat from the Hansuke.Hansuke tofu, which makes use of an eel head that is otherwise thrown away, represents a dish that offers a glimpse into the Osaka spirit of "Shimatsu no ryori," where ingredients are used in a zero waste manner.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It has been popular as a dish prepared at home for the general population. It can also be eaten at restaurants throughout the city.

## How to Eat
Soup stock is added to an earthen pot, grilled tofu and seasonings are added next, and the pot is then put on the heat. The Hansuke is added once boiling, and the dish is finished with green onion added in. The ingredients vary between household. In addition, because it has been difficult to find Hansuke in recent years, grilled eel is occasionally used as a substitute.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
This dish is served at eel restaurants throughout the city. It was originally enjoyed as a home-cooked dish, but in recent years, the number of shops selling Hansuke as an ingredient has decreased, so the opportunities to make it at home are also decreasing.

## Ingredients
- Grilled tofu: 1 block (360g)
- Hansuke eel head: 100g
- Green Onion: 30g
- Dashi soup stock: 1 cup
- Sugar: 1.5 tablespoons
- Dark soy sauce: 1.5 tablespoons
- Sake cooking wine: 1 tablespoon

## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the grilled tofu into 3x4 centimeter rectangles, and cut the green onion into three centimeter chunks.
2. 2. Add the dashi soup stock to an earthenware pot, add the grilled tofu, sugar, dark soy sauce, and sake before placing the pot on the heat. Once boiling, add in the hansuke, and finish the dish by adding green onion.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: "Osaka Local Cuisine Collection - The Tradition of Event Foods and Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)

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