# Tsubon-jiru Soup ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Tsubon-jiru Soup

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Hito Yoshikuma Region

## Main Ingredients Used
Chicken, dried shiitake mushrooms, taro, kamaboko fish cakes, carrot, grilled tofu

## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Tsubon-jiru" is a soup full of finely-chopped ingredients such as chicken, kamakobo fish cakes, and root vegetables like taro, burdock, carrot, and daikon radish. The ingredients are simmered in anchovy stock and flavored with soy sauce, with the stock taking on the delicate umami flavor of the vegetables. Originally included in kaiseki banquet cuisine served at autumn festivals in the Hitoyoshi Kuma region, tsubon-jiru is now also made at New Year's, festivals, and other such events. It is an indispensable dish particularly for celebratory occasions and is said to be prepared with an odd number of ingredients, such as seven or nine.While kaiseki banquet cuisine is served in a mix of shallow and deep dishes, the name comes from the fact that the soup was served in deep bowl a lid, hence the name “tsubo no jiru (soup in a jar)" which was changed to “tsubon-jiru." Each region and household has its own stock, ingredients, and cutting method. For example, grilled tofu is added in the Hitoyoshi district (Okunchi-san), thick deep-fried tofu in Asagiri Town (Hachiman-san) in Kuma County, and thin deep-fried tofu slices in Taraki Town (Ebisu-san). In addition to anchovies, soup stock made from dried shiitake mushrooms, local free-range chicken, and grilled shrimp is also passed down through the generations.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Autumn festivals have been held in many places since ancient times to give thanks for the harvest season and to celebrate good crops and catches. Tsubon-jiru, which was an indispensable dish for such autumn festivals, has become a staple at New Year's and celebrations as well.

## How to Eat
It is eaten with sekihan (steamed glutinous rice boiled with red beans) and onishime (simmered vegetables) during celebratory occasions. For example, tsubon-jiru is always served with sekihan and onishime at the Okunchi Festival held in autumn (9th day of the 9th month on the lunar calendar) at Aoi Aso Shrine, a national treasure in Hitoyoshi City. Scraps of ingredients used to make onishime were traditionally cut into small pieces to avoid waste and used in tsubon-jiru. It is a dish born from the custom of eating ingredients in their entirety.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)In addition to being passed down from generation to generation in each household as a festive dish, tsubon-jiru is also served in school lunches.

## Ingredients
- Local free-range chicken: 300 g
- Shiitake mushrooms (medium): 10
- Taro (medium): 8
- Chikuwa fish sticks: 2
- Konjac: 1 medium block
- Carrot: 1
- Grilled tofu: 1 block
- Water: 10 cups (2 liters)
- 【Seasonings A】 Light soy sauce: 50 ml
- 【Seasonings A】 Soy sauce: 50 ml
- 【Seasonings A】 Sake: A dash

## Recipe
1. 1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water.
2. 2. Dice the ingredients into equal-sized pieces.
3. 3. Put the water in a pot, add the ingredients except the carrot and grilled tofu. When the vegetables are slightly tender, add the carrot and heat. Carefully remove the scum from the ingredients as they cook.
4. 4. Once the soup comes to a boil, add seasoning A. Finally, add the grilled tofu and season to taste.

## Provider Information
provider : “Local Recipes from Around Kumamoto - Part II”（Kumamoto Prefecture）

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