奥津軽について

Special products of Okutsugaru

Apple

Aomori prefecture produces many apples. It measure up to half amount of apple production in Japan . The greater part of the amount is produced in Tsugaru region. It is because cold climate in Tsugaru is appropriate to apple that apples fruiting in Tsugaru are very tasty and excellent. Hence apple of Aomori is famous globally and these are being exported to foreign countries such as China , Russia . Apple trees are planted in hills in eastern territory of Gshogawara and hills in southern territory in Tsugaru city.

In addition, there are special apple trees which are planted only in Goshogawara. It is named ‘Akaai Ringo' (other name ‘Gosho'), which consists of red flesh. It is red, not only flesh but also flower, leaf, and tree trunk. However, this apple breed is significantly bitter and sour. Therefore it is not appropriate to eat without processing. This feature make the greater part of the amount of production of ‘Akaai Ringo' made into wine, juice, and so on.

 

Nemagaritake (bamboo shoot of bamboo grass)

Nemagaritake is one of the type of bamboo shoot which grows from root of bamboo grass. It is one of the edible wild plants in Okutsugaru. It can be cooked by varied cuisine, for example, fried in oil, put into Miso soup, and so on. Irrespective of harvest time (spring, and summer), it is sold with bottle.

 

Mizu

‘ Mizu' is the edible wild plant which is eaten by people of northeastern Japan territory. It is cooked by varied cuisine. For example, it is eaten with water soup stock made from seaweed. You can also eat it fried by oil.

 

Local dish of Okutsugaru

Kenoshiru

This dish is eaten in winter. It is the Miso soup consisting of Konnyaku, carrot, burdock, Japanese radish, Tohu, and other edible wild plants. Once it is boiled during one day by big pan, peoples put out small amount of it from big pan and warm it and eat every day.

 

Rice ball of young seaweed


Being put flatly on thin young seaweed, rice is folded with seaweed as look like book. It is simple but profound.

 

Iizushi

‘Iizushi' is the fermented food of mixture of rice and raw fish. Herring, Atka mackerel, sandfish, salmon are used for the raw fish of materials.

 

‘Ika no Goroni' (The squid boiled with its organs)

It is the dish of squid boiled with its internal organs. It is suitable to snack of liquor, especially Sake.

 

Jappajiru

The word ‘Jappa' is a dialect which indicates bone, head, and organs of fish.

‘ Jappajiru' is the local soup dish of cod in Aomori prefecture. It is the miso soup which consists of vegetables and whole body of cod includes Jappa. This dish is eaten in winter.

 

Kaiyakimiso = Egg with miso on scallop's shell

Kaiyakimiso is the dish of which egg with Miso boiled by scallop's shell instead of pan.
First, a cooker makes soup stock by dry sardine on the scallop's shell, and makes it tasty by Miso. Soon after, cooker falls egg into this soup and boils it by direct fire from under the shell of scallop.

Until 1950's ( Japan was not so rich until this time), egg was so expensive that only person who caught cold and a pregnant woman could eat Kaiyakimiso mainly.

Strictly speaking, Kaiyakimiso made in common people's house consists of only egg and Miso. But recently, Kaiyakimiso offered by public house contains many other ingredients such as flesh of scallop, welsh onion, and so on.

 

The snack ‘Hoshimochi'

The local snack ‘Hoshimochi' had been being made in each farmer's house in old time.

Making of Hoshimochi takes two month. The process of making is as follows;

Makers put rice-cake with sesame into square box. hey cut it to small pieces of prolonged square, tie it into a bundle, and dry it. They hang it on frigid outdoor in winter to make it dry gradually by freezing.

Taste of Hoshimochi is plain, and resistance to our teeth is crunchy. You can eat it as it is.

In addition, to fry it by butter or oil will let us feel more tasty with mellow fragrant in eating it.