Raw
Anpogaki no Namasu
Anpogaki no namasu — semi-dried persimmon in a vinegared daikon-carrot salad
Anpogaki, persimmon peeled and dried in the sun, is shredded together with daikon and carrot and dressed in vinegar and sugar — a New Year dish. Cultivation is said to trace to a man named Shichiemon, who planted persimmon trees in Yanagawa, now part of Date, in the Edo period.
- Origin: Fukushima Date
- About 250 km north of Tokyo
What it's made of
Julienned anpogaki, a sun-dried persimmon, is dressed with daikon and carrot in vinegar and sugar in this dish from Date and Fukushima City. The bright acidity pairs well with the persimmon's natural sweetness and depth, it's said. Anpogaki, made by peeling and sun-drying the fruit, is what gives the dish its character.
How it's made
Anpogaki, daikon, and carrot are all cut into fine strips, the basic method. The daikon and carrot are salted to draw out moisture, then dressed thoroughly in vinegar and sugar, it's said. The persimmon's sweetness is said to round out the whole dish, adding a festive touch of color fit for a celebration.
Why it took this shape
A culture of growing persimmons is said to have taken root in Fukushima since the Edo period, and anpogaki, made by peeling and sun-drying the fruit, is said to have become a beloved local specialty. Working this local specialty into namasu, traditionally made with raw fish, daikon, carrot, and vinegar, is thought to be how this distinctly Fukushima New Year's dish took shape.
Before you go
- Foods to look for in summerA guide to foods often seen in Japan around summer — eel on the Day of the Ox, hiyashi chuka, somen, shaved ice, edamame with beer, and hamo — 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
- Akagarei no KomaburiRoe-bearing red flounder is sliced into sashimi and tossed with its own boiled, crumbled eggs, a dish from around the Amijiro area of Iwami Town. Said to have descended from a similar dish made with crucian carp roe, it pairs rich eggs with mild, fatty winter flounder for festivals and New Year's.
- Amagi no KawatakeA rare wild freshwater algae, found only in the Kogane River in Asakura, is dressed with sweet or three-flavor vinegar — said to have once been presented to the shogun, and now conservation efforts continue as it's listed as endangered.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Also from Fukushima
- Aizu RamenFlat, thick hand-made noodles in a clear soy broth. Said to trace back to a Aizuwakamatsu diner owner bringing home a taste learned in Yokohama — a second soy ramen lineage that grew up apart from Kitakata's, in the same Aizu region.
- Aizu Curry YakisobaA dish from Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima: sauce yakisoba topped with curry roux. It's said to trace to a diner called Tommy Food, which began ladling curry over its yakisoba, catching on especially among young diners for its low price and filling size.
- Aizu GyuSteers and heifers of Japanese Black raised in the Aizu basin, fed mainly local rice straw — the basin's sharp seasonal swings are said to suit fattening, making it Fukushima's leading brand.
- Aizu JidoriA lineage said to have been brought to Aizu by Heike clan refugees, saved from near-extinction and re-established through crossbreeding by Fukushima prefecture; reportedly fattened for 90 to 170 days.
- Aizu Sōsu KatsudonAizu's sauce katsudon, doused in a thick sweet-savory sauce. Its origin has several competing accounts, none settled, but all point to it being refined through everyday improvisation on Taisho-era Western food.
- Aizu Yamajio RamenSalt ramen seasoned with mountain salt drawn from hot-spring water — rounder than sea salt.