Hot pot & soups
Natto Jiru
Natto jiru — pureed fermented soybean miso soup
Finely mashed fermented soybeans are stirred into a miso soup of taro, mushrooms, and wild greens — a dish tied to Yokote, one of the places said to claim natto's origin, traditionally reheated and eaten over the first three days of the New Year.
- Origin: Akita Yokote
- About 410 km north of Tokyo
What it's made of
A winter dish from southern Akita: mashed natto stirred into a miso soup with taro, mushrooms, and wild greens. The natto's stickiness wraps the whole broth in a mellow texture, and combined with the miso's richness it produces a distinctive depth of savor, it is said. Using mushrooms and wild greens salted and stored from spring or autumn adds a rustic depth, making for a comforting bowl in the deep snows of winter.
How it's made
Taro and fried tofu are simmered in a broth made from dried sardines, then mushrooms, bracken, and tofu are added before the soup is seasoned with miso. Mashed natto is stirred in, and green onion and mustard greens finish the dish. The wild greens and mushrooms, salted and stored back in spring or autumn, are desalted before use—a labor-intensive step said to be why the dish has been valued for special occasions.
Why it took this shape
In Yokote, said to be where natto originated, a story from the Later Three-Year War tells of soybeans, boiled and carried wrapped in straw as army provisions, turning sticky within days—and tasting good when eaten anyway. Working the natto that grew out of this local tradition into miso soup is thought to be the background behind its spread through the southern region as a way to make up for a shortage of vegetables in winter.
Before you go
- Foods to look for in winterA guide to foods often seen in Japan around winter — nabe hot pot, fugu, oysters, crab, year-end soba, and osechi — with rough pointers for finding them.
- Osechi and zoni for the New YearA guide to the meaning behind osechi's tiered boxes, the regional differences in zoni (square vs. round mochi, clear vs. miso broth), and the nanakusa-gayu custom.
- Setsubun: ehomaki and lucky beansA guide to ehomaki, the uncut sushi roll said to be eaten facing a lucky direction on Setsubun, and to mamemaki, the bean-throwing custom with roasted lucky beans.
Dishes in the same style
- 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.
- Aichi ZoniSquare mochi and mochina, a traditional Owari green, are served in a plain clear broth for New Year — a notably simple zoni. It's speculated that using miso so often in daily cooking is exactly why a clear broth is chosen for this festive occasion, deliberately leaving miso out.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Contrast
- Imonoko JiruBaby taro corms called 'imonoko' simmer with chicken, mushrooms, and wild greens in miso or soy — an autumn soup said to use taro grown in Yokote's Sannai district, prized for its soft bite, and set alongside kiritanpo nabe as the region's autumn counterpart.
- Kyanokko JiruDaikon, carrot, sweet potato, and mountain yam, diced even finer than for kenchin soup, simmer in a miso broth — a dish for Koshogatsu, the 'little' New Year, also called 'keno jiru', said to be made in a big pot and eaten over several days for good health.
Also from Akita
- Akazushi (Akazuke)Cooked glutinous rice cured briefly in red shiso and vinegar — an Akita sushi with no fish in it at all, a plant-based cousin of narezushi also offered at Obon altars.
- AsazukeBroken rice grains are pureed, simmered, and seasoned sweet-and-sour with sugar and vinegar, then mixed with cucumber, turnip, and seasonal fruit — a summer dessert unrelated to the pickle of the same name, said to refresh women after a day planting rice.
- Edokei RamenA soy ramen topped with a knob of bright red chili miso built on garlic and garlic chives. Stirred in gradually as you eat, it turns a mild bowl steadily richer and spicier — a specialty of Akita City.
- Akita HoshimochiSliced mochi is strung up, soaked in water, then left to freeze and thaw through the winter cold in a process called 'kanjime' — the result crisp and filling, said to have fueled breaks during rice-planting season.
- Akita no SakeAkita sake, brewed with soft water in deliberate contrast to Nada's hard water, aiming for a mellow, delicate character. Breweries buried in snow are said to gain a natural insulating effect from it, a tradition of slow, low-temperature fermentation built around that climate.