 Food cooked with miso in a scallop shell |
| Throughout the prefecture |
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 There are brownish scallop shells in every
home, and simple ingredients are used like
eggs and miso. In restaurants, scallops are
usually added, though fish is used instead
at home. This dish is a must when one catches
a cold and it is enjoyed throughout the prefecture.
It is also called "Miso Kaiyaki". |
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| Kenoshiru |
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 Kayunoshiru, the name of a rice gruel containing
seven spring herbs "nanakusa-gayu,"
was corrupted into Kenoshiru. In the old
days, Kenoshiru was eaten on a short holiday
in the middle of January when wives visited
their parents' houses to take a rest. Soy
beans, radishes and wild plants are minced
and cooked in a big pot. They are warmed
gradually when served. They become tastier
after several days. It is surprisingly delicious
considering the simple ingredients used.
Because Kenoshiru is commonly cooked in the
home, it is not often served in restaurants. |
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| Matagimeshi |
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 Around the foot of Mt. Iwaki, visitors are
greeted by many signs proclaiming "Food
for hunters in Dake". Matagimeshi was
originally the dish of hunters who cooked
rice with delicacies from the land, such
as pheasants, bears and deer, and lots of
wild plants. Even now Matagimeshi is nutritious
with plenty of pheasants meat and mushrooms
cooked with rice in a small pot. |
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| Hot pot cooked with horsemeat at the table
(Sashimi) |
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 This hot pot is a local culinary specialty
in the Ken-nan area, which is famous for
its horses. There are also some restaurants
in the northwestern part of Tsugaru that
serve this dish but restaurants in the Ken-nan
area are more satisfactory in terms of the
number of restaurants, the food itself and
the origin of the breeding horses. Horsemeat
has become very popular recently because
of its low calorie and high protein content.
"Sakuranabe" is recommended for
its tenderness, substantiality, flavor and
taste. |
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| Jappajiru with codfishes |
| Throughout the prefecture |
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 Jappajiru with codfishes is an Aomori's typical
culinary specialty in winter. A hot pot is
cooked at the table with the bony parts of
codfishes in place of miso. |
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| Tarano-shirakonabe: Soft codfish roe |
| Throughout the prefecture |
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 Tarano-shirakonabe is also called Tatsunabe.
A local culinary specialty, Jyappajiru, is
a fortifying codfish stew to enjoy tastes
of entrails and bones of the fish. Although
Tatsunabe is substantial, it is lightly seasoned
and full of seasonal taste. There is also
sashimi made of soft roe (Tatsusashi). |
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| Ichigoni |
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 Ichigoni is a local culinary specialty in
the Ken-nan area, which is situated along
a coastal area abundant with marine products.
Ichigoni meaning cooked strawberries was
so named because cooked sea urchins and abalones
looked like wild strawberries in a morning
mist. Lightly salting the Ichigoni makes
these sea urchins exquisitely tasty. In addition,
there are many other delicacies in the region
such as rice and sea urchins boiled stew,
and "Mizugai," which is made by
drying abalones preserved in salt. |
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| Senbeijiru |
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 Senbeijiru is a popular hot pot cooked at
the table in the Ken-nan area and specially
toasted rice crackers made from wheat flour
are the main ingredients. Many homes use
kelp and dried small sardines for making
the stock, followed by seasoning with soy
sauce and then adding meat and fish. However,
meat and fish are not used to make authentic
Senbeijiru Shiitake mushrooms, carrots and
burdocks are added for tenderness and flavor. |
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