# Keiran ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Keiran

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Shimokita region

## Main Ingredients Used
glutinous rice flour, sweet bean paste

## History, Origin, and Related Events
In November, when the rice harvest is over and the farming season has come to a close, there is a custom called "Autumn Festival". Neighbors and relatives are invited to celebrate the successful completion of rice cultivation, and a feast is served in appreciation of the year's hard work. Keiran" is one of the most popular dishes among the autumn-finishing feasts. It is a light-flavored clear soup with two white egg-shaped dumplings floating on the top of the bowl. When the autumn harvest is celebrated with sake, the bowl is filled to the brim with a larger bowl of "keiran" and is eaten in a lively atmosphere. Originally from Kyoto, this dish is said to have been introduced to the former Nanbu domain along with the transmission of Kamigata culture, and is now found in the Shimokita region of Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, and parts of Akita Prefecture.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Originally served as an autumnal feast, it has recently become an indispensable dish for weddings and funerals. Normally white dumplings, they are colored red and white for celebratory occasions, and small dumplings the size of a quail egg colored blue or green for mourning. The sweetness of the bean paste and the flavor of the soy sauce-flavored broth are in harmony with each other, creating a refined and elegant taste that is appreciated by all.

## How to Eat
After moistening glutinous rice flour with boiling water, water is added and kneaded to the consistency of earlobes, which is said to determine how good or bad it is. Wrap the bean paste in the kneaded rice cake, roll it into an egg shape, and boil it in plenty of hot water so as not to destroy its shape. In some cases, it is steamed without boiling. While still hot, pour water over the mochi by hand to give it an egg-like sheen and shape. Serve two pieces at a time in bowls, pour in soup stock made from shiitake mushrooms and kelp, and garnish with mitsuba leaves or other garnish.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)In addition to being passed down from family to family, it is an indispensable dish for weddings, funerals, and other ceremonial occasions, and is still a familiar dish today. It is also served at roadside stations and tourist facilities, and efforts are underway to make it known to tourists.

## Ingredients
- Glutinous Rice Flour: 195 g
- Lukewarm water: 150ml
- Koshi-an (sweet red bean paste): 160g (azuki beans: sugar = 01時01分, a pinch of salt)
- mitsuba leaves: a little
- Dashi stock (dried shiitake mushrooms, kelp, soy sauce): As needed

## Recipe
1. 1. Add a little warm water to glutinous rice flour, knead a little harder than earlobe, and divide into 40g portions.
2. 2. Divide the Koshi An into 20g portions, wrap in the dough and shape into a chicken egg.
3. 3. Make a soup stock from shiitake mushrooms and kelp, remove shiitake mushrooms and cut into thin strips.
4. 4. Add soy sauce and shredded shiitake mushrooms to the broth.
5. 5. Boil the mitsuba leaves and lightly tie the stems.
6. 6. Boil the rice cake with anko (sweet bean paste). When the surface becomes transparent, remove the rice cake and pour cold water over it with your hands while it is still hot to give it a smooth surface.
7. 7. Put 2 rice cakes, soup stock, mitsuba leaves and shiitake mushrooms in a bowl.

## Provider Information
provider : "Guidebook for the transmission of food culture" (Aomori Prefecture)

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