# Kukitachihoshi no nimono ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Kukitachihoshi no nimono

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Yonezawa City (Okitama area and Murayama area)

## Main Ingredients Used
dried kukitatsuboshi, carrots, beans, konnyaku thread, deep-fried tofu, soy sauce, sugar

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Kukitachi-nimono" is a local dish using "kukitachi", a cruciferous vegetable. Kukitachi has a strong vitality, and its side branches grow after the core is picked, so it can be harvested one after another.Dried kukitachi are made by boiling the kukitachi caught in spring and drying them in the sun for four to five days. The secret to making tasty dried kukitachi-hairi is to give it a slight rub when drying it. In the old days, it was stored in an Ami-bag and stored as food during the winter when leafy vegetables were scarce, and it is still eaten today as a delicious food.Some vegetables called kukitachi have different leaf shapes, but they all belong to the Brassicaceae family and are called by the same name. Any type of leaves can be used to make dried kukitachi.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is usually eaten in winter, but the harvest of kukitachi itself is done in spring. At direct sales stands, kukitachi and dried kukitachi are sold.A long time ago, it was customary for farmers to make dried kukitachi for the winter after the kukitachi harvest was finished. Even today, it is not uncommon to find people growing kukitachi in their vegetable gardens.

## How to Eat
Put dried kukitachi in a pot with plenty of water and heat, then bring to a boil, turn off the heat, and let soak overnight. Add sesame oil at the end to enhance the flavor.Basically, it is eaten as a side dish with rice. There is no particular rule for ingredients to be simmered together, and it can be combined with seasonal vegetables.In many cases, dried or dried foods are cooked together with beaten soybeans. Soybeans are wrapped in a wet dish towel, slightly moistened, and then crushed one by one with a wooden hammer. It is often used to cook kukitachiboshi and hyodoshi because the flavor of the soybeans is soaked up by simmering them together.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Elementary schools in the Okitama area include "kukitachi-hayaboshi no nimono" in their school lunch menu.Dried kukitachi-shi is sold at supermarkets and direct sales stores.

## Ingredients
- dried kukitachi: 20g (about 150g when put back)
- pounded beans (about 2.5g): 20g
- deep-fried tofu: 1 sheet
- konnyaku thread: 80g
- carrot: 40g
- soy sauce: 1 1／2 tbsp.
- 1 tsp mirin (sweet cooking sake): 1 tsp.
- oil: 1 1／2 tbsp.
- sesame oil: 1 tsp.
- dried sardines: 5g (to taste)
- Water: (enough to cover the water)

## Recipe
1. 1. Wash dried kukitachidari, place in a pot, add plenty of water, heat and bring to a boil. When the water cools down to a temperature where you can put your hand in, rub the dried kukitachi lightly while loosening, and leave them soaking overnight.
2. 2. Wash the kukitachi returned in step 1, cut into 3 cm pieces, and squeeze out the water. Soak Uchimame in a small amount of water.
3. 3. Pour boiling water over fried tofu to remove oil, and cut into thin strips. Boil konnyaku quickly and cut into appropriate lengths. Cut carrots into 3 cm lengths. Remove the heads and entrails of the dried sardines and split them in half.
4. 4. Heat oil in a pan and fry kukitaki, carrot and konnyaku. Fill the pan with water to the brim, add the beans, deep-fried tofu, and dried sardines, and heat over high heat. When kukitachi and carrot become soft, add seasonings, lower the heat, and simmer until all the water is absorbed.
5. 5. Finally, add sesame oil and season to taste.

## Provider Information
provider : Hiroko Saito, Yamagata Yonezawa Nutrition University

![Image](Not found)