Hot pot & soups
Togan Jiru
Togan jiru — winter melon simmered in a thick chicken and mushroom broth
Peeled winter melon is simmered in dashi with chicken and dried shiitake, then thickened with potato starch. In Aichi, said to rank among the country's top winter melon producers, its watery, mild flavor is said to have made it useful when summer heat dulls the appetite.
- Origin: Aichi
- About 270 km west of Tokyo
What it's made of
Togan-jiru is made by simmering peeled winter melon with chicken and dried shiitake in dashi, then thickening it with potato starch. Aichi is said to be one of the country's leading winter melon producers, and because the vegetable is mild and absorbs flavor easily, it is said to be used in miso soup, simmered dishes, and stir-fries alike. Winter melon is reportedly more than 95 percent water.
How it's made
The winter melon's pith is removed, the flesh cut into easy-to-eat pieces and peeled, then simmered in dashi with chicken and shiitake or other ingredients. Once everything is cooked through, potato starch is stirred in to thicken the broth. The dashi is often reportedly made from dried shiitake rather than bonito or dried sardine, and some households add fried tofu for its savoriness.
Why it took this shape
Winter melon has thick, tough skin, and is said to keep so well in a cool, dark place that it can last from summer into winter, which is said to be why it is called 'winter melon' in Japanese. Being watery and mild, it is said to have been valued as a way to stay hydrated in summer and to whet a fading summer appetite, eaten chilled or piping hot as a way to beat the heat.
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 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.