# Ego no Sumiso-ae ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Ego no Sumiso-ae

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Hokushin and Chushin areas

## Main Ingredients Used
Egogusa (Seaweed)

## History, Origin, and Related Events
The name "Ego" comes from boiled and kneaded seaweed called "egogusa," and it is a regional cuisine passed down throughout Niigata Prefecture. Egogusa is said to have been brought to mountain villages in Shinshu by peddlers from fishing villages along the Sea of Japan, and "Ego" is mainly eaten along the "Shio no Michi" (Salt Road) extending from the Daihoku area to the Nagano Nishiyama area (Shinshushinmachi, Ogawa, Nakajo, Naniai, etc.). In the days before refrigeration, well-preserved seafood was a valuable source of nutrients that were often deficient in the land-locked Nagano Prefecture. Ego is thought to have been eaten towards the end of the Taisho era, and it was transported over several days from the coast of Niigata Prefecture. In the Iiyama region, their version of "Ego" is simply boiled and dissolved. It is eaten in many areas excluding the southern regions, and is eaten with karashi (mustard) soy sauce, karashi sumiso (vinegar miso), plain karashi, etc. In Kijimadaira and Azumino (near Toyoshinaminamihotaka), it is called "Igo" and is sun-bleached prior to boiling and dissolving, then eaten with sansho (Japanese pepper) miso, bonito flake soy sauce, wasabi soy sauce, karashi soy sauce, etc. Egogusa brought from Niigata Prefecture was often sold out in the Hokushin area, and rarely reached the larger cities of Nagano and Matsumoto. This is said to be the reason why it spread and took root mainly in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture. As a regional cuisine of Niigata Prefecture,some areas have a custom of boiling and dissolving Egogusa in the original color, and other areas wet the Ego and dry it in the sun until it becomes white, then boil and dissolve before eating. It has been passed down as a meal to serve during festive events.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is eaten throughout the year. Not only is "Ego" served during the Obon Festival, it is an essential component to prepare and eat during family ceremonies.

## How to Eat
Wash and soak the Egogusa until hydrated, put into a pot with enough water to submerge, then heat. Stir with a paddle until thickened, pour into a mold, cut once hardened into thin rectangular slices, then eat with seasonings such as sumiso or wasabi soy sauce.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
There are fewer opportunities for households to make "Ego" as in the past, but some households still make it. Ego and Egogusa can be found at local supermarkets. "Ego" has been eaten as a ceremonial food in Iiyama since long ago. It is a popular local food that was recognized as an intangible folk cultural property of Iiyama along with "Sasazushi," "Tomikura Soba," and "Imonamasu" in 2007. It continues to be passed down as a representative of Iiyama food culture today.

## Ingredients
- [Ego] Egogusa: 50g
- [Ego] Water: 900ml
- [Igo] Igogusa: 50g
- [Igo] Water: 1000ml

## Recipe
1. 1. [Ego step 1]Soak the Egogusa in water to remove dirt, then rinse thoroughly. Put into a pot with water and heat.
2. 2. [Ego step 2]Once it has dissolved into a paste-like consistency, mix well with a wooden spoon until it thickens to a transparency that you can see the bottom of the pot, then pour into a mold and allow to cool.
3. 3. [Igo step 1] Rehydrate the dried Egogusa in water and remove the dirt. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes to 1 hours.
4. 4. [Igo step 2] Dry in the sun (soak and sun-dry repeatedly until it becomes white).
5. 5. [Igo step 3] Simmer 50g of dried Egogusa in 1L of water.
6. 6. [Igo step 4] Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, then stir. Stir with a rice paddle for about 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat (make sure the bottom does not burn).
7. 7. [Igo step 5] When it becomes stick, turn off the heat, pour into a mold, and cool in the refrigerator.
8. 8. In addition to sumiso, you can also eat it with[Ego] karashi soy sauce, karashi sumiso, karashi vinegar soy sauce[Igo] sansho miso, bonito flake soy sauce, wasabi soy sauce, karashi soy sauce

## Provider Information
provider : "Saa Tabesuwae" (the flavors shared by JA Nagano), "Azumino no Aji Agattokure" (the flavors shared by JA Azumi)

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