# Kozuyu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Kozuyu

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Aizu region, excluding Minamiaizu

## Main Ingredients Used
Scallops, kikurage, taro, itokon, dried shiitake mushrooms, mamefu (white bean curd), carrots, strawberries, etc.

## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Fukushima Prefecture, there is a red lacquerware called Aizu-nuri. Kozuyu is a local dish made with a variety of ingredients such as kikurage (kikurage), warabi (bracken), and taro (taro) cooked in a soup stock made from scallops in a shallow "teshio dish". It is said that the name "kozuyu" was derived from "kojyu-no-tsuyu," which means "soup of kozu" in Japanese.Kozuyu itself has been eaten for more than 100 years, and used to be served in two separate bowls, "Ichi-no-jyu" and "Nii-no-jyu," or "Ichi-no-Dew" and "Nii-Dew," but since around 1985, it has been served in a single bowl as "kozuyu. A local dish similar to kozuyu is a soup called tsuyuju in Koriyama City. The ingredients are almost the same, except for the bean fu, and plenty of Fukushima ingredients are used.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is usually served on a "teshio dish" during weddings and funerals. Among other occasions, it is an indispensable dish at weddings, and is served during banquets. Since kozuyu was enjoyed as a snack with sake, people were allowed to have as many cups of kozuyu as they wanted. Kozuyu has also been served at festivals and celebrations, and has been passed down through the generations as a dish for entertaining guests. It is said to be good luck to have seven or nine ingredients in a dish because of the odd number of ingredients.

## How to Eat
Prepare each ingredient, cut it into bite-size pieces, simmer it in soup stock made from dried shiitake mushrooms and scallops, and season with soy sauce and salt to taste. The ingredients are characterized by a balance of both seafood such as scallops and mountain vegetables such as bracken and taro. In the past, some families used to add an egg omelet. Each family has its own way of cutting, ingredients, and seasoning, and each kozuyu is unique.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Overview of the people who have passed on the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)Although the number of households making kozuyu has decreased, the custom and culture of making kozuyu has been passed down from generation to generation. Retort pouches of kozuyu and kozuyu sets that even include a "teshio dish" are now available, making it easy to enjoy kozuyu. It is also available at lodging facilities and restaurants in Fukushima Prefecture.

## Ingredients
- Scallops: 2 pieces
- Jew's ear mushroom: 8 pieces
- konjak thread: 1／4 ball
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom: 1 piece
- shiratama fu (bean curd): 4 tbsp.
- carrot: 1／4
- boiled green bracken: a pinch
- Hana-katsuo (dried bonito) soup stock: 4 cups
- soy sauce: 1 to 2 tbsp.
- sake: a little
- Other ingredients used by each family (ginkgo, chikuwa, daikon radish, bamboo shoots, naruto, etc.): To taste

## Recipe
1. 1. Prep.Soak scallops in 1 cup water overnight and break into pieces.Soak kikurage mushrooms in 1 cup of water overnight and break into bite-sized pieces.Cut taro into ginkgo nut slices and boil to remove any sliminess.Cut konjak into 1cm length and boil.Put back the dried shiitake mushrooms, remove the stones from the mushrooms, and dice them. (Strain the soup).Soak shiratama-fu in water and drain.Cut carrots into ginkgo nut slices.Cut bracken into 2 cm lengths.
2. 2. Put the scallops and stock, shiitake mushrooms and stock, and broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. 3. Add carrot, kikurage and konjak and simmer until carrot becomes soft, then add taro and simmer until soft.
4. 4. Season 3 with soy sauce and sake.
5. 5. Finally, add the mamefu (white bean curd) and let it simmer for a minute.
6. 6. When ready to serve, top with boiled seasonal greens (spinach, kinugaya, etc.) and bracken. (Do not add too much shiitake mushrooms; enjoy the taste of the scallops)

## Provider Information
provider : Mihoko Hiraide

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