# Chagayu ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Chagayu

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
The Iga food culture area, Higashikishu food culture area, and Chunansei food culture area

## Main Ingredients Used
Rice and Bancha

## History, Origin, and Related Events
According to the Kojiruien, an encyclopedia from the Meiji period, it has been eaten since the time of Emperor Shomu, and even today, after the Omizutori at Nigatsu-do Hall, a chagayu dish prepared with bancha called “gobo” is eaten at the accommodation. It seems that chagayu has a long history. It is a local dish that was invented in an area with low rice yields, where rice is conserved by increasing the amount of water used. In areas where chagayu is prepared, tea plants are planted near homes. In the Iga region, there was little cultivated land, and white rice was so precious that people did not have the opportunity to eat it as part of their daily meal, but only on occasions such as Obon, the New Year, festivals, and when entertaining guests. The staple foods were usually barley rice and porridge, and chagayu was often eaten to bulk up the volume of these foods. It is said that in the past, all three meals consisted of just chagayu and takuan. Vegetables and legumes were added as ingredients, and these ingredients were seasonal so that they never got boring. In addition, in the Kumano region, porridge was often eaten, so there was a song all about eating porridge that goes, “Morning, noon, and dinner, we eat porridge. There isn’t a midnight snack? It's time to go to bed.” In the Iga region, there is a song that goes, “Chagayu for breakfast and lunch and porridge for dinner.” Kayumi, Iinan-cho, Matsusaka City is a tea-producing region and is also an area where chagayu was a popular meal.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Since ancient times, it has been affectionately known as “okai-san” and has become a regular dish. In the summer, cooling it increases the appetite. Depending on the season, you can add sweet potatoes, cowpeas, green peas, corn, etc.

## How to Eat
Wash the rice, stopping while the water is still unclear, fill the rice pot with water, then put in a tea bag (locally known as “chanbukuro”) and brew it a little. After that, add the rice and cook. Once the tea is brewed nicely, remove the tea bag by pinching it with chopsticks, then let the porridge steam for a while. It is better to use hojicha, habucha, homemade tea, etc. than green tea. Serve hot in a bowl. However, during the hot summer months, it is delicious to eat chilled. Some people put chilled chagayu in a lunch jar and take it to work. In the Nishiyama area of Kumano City, a method of making chagayu using Kobo tea (kawaraketsumei) is also passed down. supposedly by Kobo Daishi.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Even today, the custom of eating chagayu remains, mainly among the elderly.

## Ingredients
- Rice: 140g
- Water: 8 cups
- Salt (to taste): Just a little
- Hojicha: 1 tbsp.

## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the rice lightly and drain it in a colander.
2. 2. Pour 8 cups of water into a pot, bring to a boil, add a tea bag (chanbukuro), and make tea soup.
3. 3. Add the rice from 1 and cook uncovered over high heat. Stir occasionally and remove the scum.It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook.You can take out the tea bag halfway through. When adding other ingredients, add them together with the rice.

## Provider Information
provider : “Taste of Mie: Sensai Mansai” (Mie Food Culture Research Group)

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