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Nimiso
Nimiso — root vegetables simmered and reheated repeatedly in red miso
Daikon, carrot, taro, and other root vegetables — whatever's on hand — are simmered in red soybean miso. Made in a big batch and reheated the next day, the miso is said to sink in deeper each time, with what goes into it varying widely from house to house.
- Origin: Aichi
- About 270 km west of Tokyo
What it's made of
Nimiso is a dish of root vegetables such as daikon, carrot, and taro, simmered in red soybean miso along with whatever else is on hand. Red soybean miso, essential to Aichi's cooking, is made from soybean koji fermented and aged for a long stretch, said to give it a deep richness, acidity, and distinctive astringency. Also called 'misoni,' the dish is said to vary widely in flavor and ingredients from household to household.
How it's made
Daikon, carrot, burdock root, taro, and whatever else is on hand are simmered together in miso. The ingredients are said to vary by season and household. Some versions are seasoned with miso and mirin, others thinned with dashi into something closer to miso soup, and when made brothy, the leftover liquid is sometimes used to make a rice or udon porridge.
Why it took this shape
Using plenty of root vegetables and cooking a large batch at once are said to be common across households. Made in bulk and reheated the next day, and the day after that, the flavor is said to deepen each time as the miso soaks further in. Because it is simmered slowly, it is said to warm the body, and it is especially popular in winter, when root vegetables are in season.
Before you go
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Dishes in the same style
- Agonoko UmaniThe roe of egg-bearing flying fish, caught only in early summer, is simmered in stock and soy sauce as an Oki bar snack. Its large grains and dense, sticky texture are prized as a delicacy said to be scarcer even than the fish's flesh.
- Funa MisoCrucian carp is simmered slowly with soybeans for around five hours, then finished in a sauce of red miso and coarse sugar. A freshwater fish dish of the Kiso rivers' lower basin, made with fatty winter carp simmered until the bones soften through.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Also from Aichi
- Funa MisoCrucian carp is simmered slowly with soybeans for around five hours, then finished in a sauce of red miso and coarse sugar. A freshwater fish dish of the Kiso rivers' lower basin, made with fatty winter carp simmered until the bones soften through.
- Gohei MochiFreshly cooked non-glutinous rice is pounded, pressed flat on a skewer, and grilled with a miso glaze. Said to have originated in the mountainous Chubu region, it's traditionally made the night before a festival praying for safety in mountain work.
- Aichi HakozushiVinegared rice is packed into a wooden frame, topped with shrimp, eel, shiitake, and egg arranged diagonally, and pressed. Placing toppings on the diagonal so everyone gets a fair share of each is said to be a feature of the Owari and western Mikawa style, made for celebrations.
- Hebo MeshiAdult and larval giant hornets are simmered sweet and savory, then folded into freshly cooked rice. Said to have served as a prized protein source across the mountains from Shinshu to Okumikawa, it's now more often served as a treat for guests.
- Iga ManjuSweet bean paste is wrapped in rice flour dough, then coated with dyed sticky rice grains. One account ties the name to the grains' resemblance to a chestnut's spiny husk, and in the western Mikawa region it's said to be offered to Hina dolls at the Doll Festival.
- Aichi Miso OdenA pot of sweet red miso sits in the center of the simmering pot, and daikon, tofu, and other ingredients simmered in dashi are dipped into it before eating. While soy-based Kanto-style oden spread in Edo, Aichi is said to have settled on dipping in soybean miso instead.