Hot pot & soups
Shijimi Jiru
Shijimi jiru — miso soup with Lake Biwa's endemic seta shijimi clam
A miso soup built on seta shijimi, a clam found only in Lake Biwa, simmered in a kelp-based broth. Plumper and richer than other shijimi species, it is said to taste best in spring before spawning, though catches have grown scarce in recent years.
- Origin: Shiga
- About 360 km west of Tokyo
What it's made of
Shijimi-jiru is a miso soup made with seta-shijimi, a freshwater clam found only in Lake Biwa, simmered in kelp dashi. Japan has three native shijimi clams, yamato-shijimi, ma-shijimi, and seta-shijimi, and the last is said to have a plumper, thicker shell and a richer-tasting meat than the other two. Those in season from December through April are called kan-shijimi, or cold-season shijimi, and are said to be especially delicious, their meat particularly plump.
How it's made
The clams are left to purge sand overnight. They're heated in kelp dashi until the shells open, then miso is stirred in and the soup brought back to a boil. Chopped scallion finishes the dish. The method is simple, but the seta-shijimi's concentrated umami is said to spread thoroughly through the broth, giving a deeply flavorful bowl.
Why it took this shape
Seta-shijimi is said to have lived in the shallows and down to about ten meters of Lake Biwa, though its habitat has reportedly shifted as environmental conditions worsen, including a decline in sandy lake bottoms. Until around the 1960s it was reportedly eaten daily, not just in soup but also simmered in soy sauce or cooked into rice, though catches have since fallen sharply alongside these environmental changes. Local fishermen are said to describe the clams just before spring spawning as especially delicious.
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.
- At yakiniku, shabu-shabu, and hot potGrilling your own meat at yakiniku, swishing thin slices at shabu-shabu, and sharing from the pot — the customs behind each.
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
Also from Shiga
- Aka Konnyaku NiKonjac dyed reddish with iron oxide, a specialty of Omi-Hachiman, is pan-simmered with bonito flakes and soy sauce. The color holds even after cooking, and the dish is a fixture at ceremonial meals and school lunches alike.
- Amenoio GohanA whole Lake Biwa trout, migrating upstream to spawn, is set atop rice and cooked together; "amenoio" means "rain fish," a name tied to the trout's autumn run after rainfall. The flesh and roe are flaked and mixed through the rice, traditionally made in large pots for gatherings.
- Biwamasu SashimiBiwamasu, a trout found only in Lake Biwa, is filleted and served raw as sashimi. The fish grows richest from early to midsummer and is prized locally as "the jewel of Lake Biwa" — a fish so scarce that it rarely reaches markets beyond the lakeshore.
- Chojifu no Karashi AeChojifu, a square baked wheat gluten unique to Shiga, is paired with cucumber and dressed in mustard-miso vinegar. The gluten also appears in Buddhist vegetarian meals, and its chewy texture with a refreshing tang makes the dish a staple at family gatherings.
- Dongame JiruEggplant scored with a crosshatch pattern is simmered in dashi, then finished with miso and ground sesame. Said to originate in the merchant town of Gokasho, the name compares the muddy look of the sesame in the broth and the eggplant's scored skin to a turtle's shell.
- Ebi MameFreshwater shrimp from Lake Biwa are simmered sweet-savory with soybeans. Inexpensive and long-keeping, the dish is eaten as everyday fare, but is also served at New Year's with a wish for long life — that one might live, like the bent-backed shrimp, into old age.