# Suizen ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Suizen

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Around Wajima City

## Main Ingredients Used
Tengusa, black sesame, brown sugar, etc.

## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Suizen " is one of the local dishes of Wajima that has been passed down the ages since ancient times. Tengusa is boiled, rice flour is added, and the mixture is left to harden. It has its roots in shojin ryori and is eaten in place of sashimi.It is a dish served at memorial services and funerals, and it was common for each family to make it before a funeral a long time ago. People from the neighborhood also gathered to help make it. Sesame saus is indispensable for suizen. This is a mixture of ground black sesame, brown sugar, and soy sauce. It was the man's job to ground the sesame for this sesame sauce. Due to this background, each household’s individuality appears in the firmness and taste of their "suizen"."Suizen" is beautifully and tastefully served and decorated on Wajima lacquerware with Kikusui, kinchaku, and flower wreaths. The pure white "suizen" with a sense of transparency looks great against the vermilion lacquerware. In addition to its beautiful appearance, it is characterized by a slightly different texture than agar and the flavor of the sesame sauce. You can also enjoy the unique flavor of tengusa.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is served at memorial services and funerals. It used to be made in every household, but now it is rarely made. The number of retailers and manufacturers who deal with it is decreasing as well. Because it is soft and cannot be stored for a long time, it is not suitable as a tourist souvenir and is often consumed within the region.

## How to Eat
Soak tengusa in water, add a small amount of vinegar, and boil to dissolve. After straining it with a cloth bag, add finely ground rice flour and pour it into a mold to harden it. When eating, use a stick to elongate it. Dip it in sesame sauce before eating. Because this sesame sauce contains brown sugar, it has a sweet and salty flavor. Due to this flavor, there are rare cases where it is eaten like a dessert.At memorial services and funerals, it is often served and decorated on Wajima lacquerware. Its protrusions give it its long strip-like shape and it is arranged in a flower pattern.Since the amount of water varies depending on where the tengusa was harvested, it is necessary to adjust the hardness while boiling and dissolving.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)The custom of making it at home is pretty much gone. Nowadays, the number of manufacturers who make suizen is decreasing as well, but it is sold at some supermarkets in Wajima City and is also served at restaurants that serve shojin ryori and at funerals.

## Ingredients
- tengusa: An appropriate amount
- vinegar: An appropriate amount
- rice: An appropriate amount
- black sesame: 3 tablespoons
- brown sugar: 2 tablespoons
- miso: 1 1／2 tablespoons
- soy sauce: 2／3 tablespoons
- kombu broth: 2 1／2 tablespoons
- seasonal fruits (mandarin oranges, etc.): An appropriate amount
- parsley: An appropriate amount

## Recipe
1. 1. Add a small amount of vinegar to enough water to cover the tengusa and boil to dissolve.
2. 2. When 1 becomes mushy, add water little by little, and when the shape of the tengusa is completely dissolved, strain it with a cloth bag.
3. 3. After soaking the rice in water overnight, grind it with a millstone and let it settle.
4. 4. Add 3 to 2 and pour it into a mold. When it hardens, cut it into pieces as appropriate and rinse with water.
5. 5. Cut 4 into thin slices of 4 to 5 mm, arrange on a plate in the desired shape, and garnish with seasonal fruits and parsley.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provider name: “Kanazawa, Kaga, Noto: Hometown cuisine of the four seasons” (Author: Etsuko Aoki)

![Image](Not found)