# Kanpyo Nori Makizushi (‘Kanpyo’ Dried Gourd Strips Sushi Roll) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Kanpyo Nori Makizushi (‘Kanpyo’ Dried Gourd Strips Sushi Roll)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
All of Tochigi Prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, ‘Kanpyo’ (Dried Gourd Strips), Nori

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Kanpyo is a crucial ingredient for sushi rolls; it is simmered with sugar and soy sauce then rolled with rice alone or with omelette egg and cucumber. Kanpyo is a local specialty in Tochigi prefecture, which boasts more than 90% of its market. (researched by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery in 2018) Kanpyo is made from ‘yugao’(moonflower) fruit cut into strip and dried. It is said that Dadateru Torii, Japanese Daimyo, got moonflower seeds when he moved from Koshu (currently Shiga Prefecture) to Mibu in current Tochigi Prefecture in 1712, then ordered local farmers to grow moonflowers to produce Kanpyo. The area of production has been expended to south-east Tochigi Prefecture like Kaminokawa machi, Koyama City, Simono City, Utsunomiya City, Moka City and Kanuma City since then. It goes well with various flavours, and is popular as an ingredient of sushi roll.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
People used to make the sushi roll and bring some for flower-viewing picnic or school events like sports day and school day trip, with lacquer ware box.

## How to Eat
Rince and soak the rice for an hour, then drain water. After cooking rice, add ingredients for Awase-zu (sweet and sour dressing). Place ingredients in the center of nori, then roll it with ‘Makisu’ bamboo mat like wrapping the ingredients. Hold the end of roll with vinegar. Cut into bite-size to serve.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It is served as a traditional daily food at home and restaurants, and at school as school lunch to educate about local products.

## Ingredients
- Rice: 3 cups (450g)
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)] Sugar: 1／2 tbsp.
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)] Vinegar: 60cc
- [Awase-zu(sweet and sour dressing)] Salt: 1 and 1／2 tsp.
- [Omelette] Egg: 2
- [Omelette] Sugar: 15g
- [Omelette] Salt: 1／2 tsp.
- [Omelette] Vegetable oil: A little
- Cucumber: 1
- Salt: A little
- ‘Oboro’ minced fish: 20g
- [Simmered Kanpyo] Kanpyo: 30g
- [Simmered Kanpyo] Dashi (=Japanese soup stock): 250g
- [Simmered Kanpyo] Soy sauce: 50cc
- [Simmered Kanpyo] Sake: 50cc
- [Simmered Kanpyo] Mirin(=sweet rice wine): 10cc
- Nori: 3 for thick roll, 2 for thin roll

## Recipe
1. 1. Cook rice firmer. Sprinkle Awase-zu on the rice and cut it with a rice paddle.
2. 2. Soak Kanpyo and boil it with hot water. Simmer with ‘Simmered Kanpyo’ ingredients slowly.
3. 3. Beat eggs and mix with sugar and salt, then stir well. Make omelette.
4. 4. [For 3 thick roll](1) Place nori on a ‘makisu’ bamboo mat vertically. Then put 230g of rice onto the nori and spread it. Keep the gap the end of nori.(2) Place Kanpyo, omelette, cucumber and ‘Oboro’ nicely in the middle of the rice mat.(3) Roll the ingredients with the mat like wrapping them with nori. Put vinegar on the edge of nori to hold roll.(4) Cut into 6~8 pieces to serve.
5. 5. [For 4 thin roll](1)Cut nori into half, then place it on a ‘makisu’ bamboo mat. Put 100g of rice onto the nori and spread it. Press the center of rice gently.(2) Place Kanpyo in the middle of the rice mat. Roll the ingredient with the mat like wrapping it with nori. Put vinegar on the edge of nori to hold roll.(3) Cut into 4 pieces to serve.

## Provider Information
provider : “Local Japanese Cuisine Traditional dish in Utsunomiya” (Yuji Kashiwamura/Hisae Handa)

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