Tamakonnyaku, a well-known type of konnyaku in Yamagata Prefecture

While Gunma Prefecture is Japan’s largest producer of konnyaku sweet potatoes, the raw material for konnyaku, in 2012, Yamagata City in Yamagata Prefecture is the largest consumer of konnyaku in Japan. Behind the consumption of about twice as much konjac as in the Tokyo metropolitan area lies the existence of “tama-konjac,” which is eaten at festivals, athletic meets, and other events.

The Yamagata way of eating konjac is to boil round konjac in a pot with soy sauce, sake, and surumeika, skewer it, and eat it with mustard. Tamakonnyaku ” is a common sight at tourist attractions and places where people gather. Everyone from children to adults can easily eat it, and it has become an established fast food.

In Yamagata Prefecture, there are several restaurants specializing in konjac cuisine. One of them, Tanno Konnyaku in Narashita-juku, is famous for its many varieties of konjac dishes. The owner, Masuo Tanno, who was originally a konjac manufacturer, opened Narashita-juku Tanno Konnyaku in 1986 with the hope that people would become more familiar with konjac and know how delicious it is.

Konjac as a Health Food

Mr. Tanno cooks konjac under the motto, ” I want to see your smile and send you good health.

Konjac has been attracting attention as a health food in recent years. It is especially popular among health-conscious people because of its low calorie and carbohydrate content, yet rich in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber has been shown to have many physiological functions, such as preventing constipation and regulating bowel movements, as well as suppressing elevated blood glucose levels and lowering blood cholesterol levels. The fact that it can be expected not only to help people lose weight, but also to improve their physical condition, is another reason why it has become so popular. In order to make konjac more accessible, Mr. Tanno is developing a variety of konjac products , including not only prepared konjac to add color to the dining table, but also dessert konjac that combines konjac with fruits and vegetables.

The Secret of Konjac’s Deliciousness

There are two major secrets to the delicious taste of Mr. Tanno’s konjac. The first is high-quality water. He makes konjac using “Masuei no mizu,” alkaline natural water rich in calcium, pumped up from more than 200 meters below the ground. The temperature of the underground water is kept at a constant 18 degrees Celsius, and in winter, the difference in temperature between the outside temperature and the spring water is so great that steam rises from the spring water. This stable temperature of calcium-rich groundwater produces konjac without any peculiarities or odor.

The second factor is the skill and passion of the craftsmen. Konnyaku changes its appearance with the seasons, and the craftsmen must be sensitive to these changes and respond accordingly. All kinds of conditions, such as the time of leaving the konjac to stand and the temperature at which the lime is dissolved, also affect the flavor of the konjac. He is particular about such small details in the production of his konjac.

Mr. Tanno also exhibits and sells his tama-konnyaku at product fairs throughout Japan, and while doing so, he visits local delicacies and conducts research in order to make the best use of them in konnyaku cuisine.

In the beginning, we didn’t have a cook, so we made our own dishes by trial and error,” he says. Konnyaku can be flavored in any way, it is just a matter of how to reproduce the tactile sensation,” says Tanno. This passion for exploring konjac cuisine is probably one of the reasons for the delicious konjac.

If you have not yet discovered the true taste of konjac, I encourage you to try Tanno’s konjac dishes. It will completely change your impression of konjac.

The post Delivering smiles with health food konjac Tanno Konnyaku, Tarushita-juku/Kaminoyama City, Yamagata Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Yamagata’s representative fruit, cherries

Yamagata is known for its cherries. Yamagata is so well-known for its cherries that it can be said that cherries are the most representative fruit of Yamagata. Of course, Yamagata ranks first in the nation in terms of both harvest and shipping volume. They account for about 70% of the market share.
Among the cherries of Yamagata, the kingdom of cherries, there is a man who is called a “master”. That is Mr. Kenichi Karube, whom we interviewed this time. The cherries that Mr. Karube grows with great care and attention are simply delicious. He says that there are many cherry farmers all over Japan who are fascinated by the taste and follow the example of his cultivation methods. That is why he is called a master.
On the day of the interview, it was raining. Rain is the natural enemy of cherries,” said Mr. Karube. Just a little exposure to rain can cause the cherries to crack, making them unusable as a product. Now they have a tent to protect them from the rain, but without it, the harvest sometimes coincides with the rainy season, and the farmers are always in a state of fear.

The popular Sato Nishiki and the powerful Beni Shuho

Sato Nishiki is the most famous variety of cherries, but at the time of the interview, the harvest of Sato Nishiki was over and the cherries on the trees were of the Benishuho variety. The Benishuho variety was on the trees. It is a larger variety than Sato Nishiki, and has a higher sugar content.
Mr. Karube picked one from the tree and handed it to Nakata to try. As soon as he put it in his mouth and took a bite, the color of Nakata’s face changed. It was so sweet that he could hardly believe it was a cherry. The sugar content was about 25 degrees, which was as sweet as a peach or melon. The thick flesh of the fruit is also irresistible.
The popular Sato Nishiki and the powerful Beni Shuho,” says Karube. It has a strong sweetness and low acidity. Of course, everyone has their own tastes, but I actually think it tastes better than Sato Nishiki. That’s why I think it’s such a challenging variety to produce as a professional.
Beni Shuho is one of the “Beni Series” varieties created at the Yamagata Prefecture Farm Experiment Station. Even before it was popularized, he fell in love with its taste and put a lot of effort into cultivating this variety.

Pruning cherries is an exciting process!

The most exciting part of cherry cultivation is pruning the cherries. When Nakata was asked what is the most important thing in growing cherries, he immediately replied, “Sunlight. Without sunlight, the cherries don’t taste good and their color doesn’t improve,” Karube replied.
The only work that can be done to ensure sunlight is pruning the branches. Karube says that pruning is the most interesting work because it is the only way to determine the flavor and color of the cherries.
The pruning really makes a difference,” he said. From the shape of the grapes to the taste, of course. That’s why it’s so interesting. I have to be very careful with the scissors so that the sun shines on the grapes. Interestingly, if you prune too quickly, the trees rebel.

Growing cherries with care

It sounded like he was talking to a human being. A cherry tree has a lifespan of about 40 years. Mr. Karube said that is “half the age of a human being. It takes seven to eight years to bear fruit. In human terms, that would make them about 15 years old. It would have been around the time when the tree had reached its prime. From then until the end of their life span of nearly 30 years, they are carefully pruned every year. And every year it produces delicious cherries. The word “nurture” is the perfect word.
Red Shuho cherries carefully grown by a cherry expert. We hope you will try them.

The post Thick-fleshed and sweet “Beni Shuho” cherries by Kenichi Karube, a cherry farmer / Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.