# Tsumikko ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Tsumikko

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Chichibu Area, Honjo City

## Main Ingredients Used
Wheat flour

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Saitama Prefecture, where wheat cultivation has flourished since ancient times, has a strong udon culture. Tsumikko, loved in Honjo City and the Chichibu area, is a local dish that was especially useful during busy times because it can be made more quickly than udon. It is a so-called "suiton," and depending on the region, it may be called "tochanage," "dango," or "tsumekko. The name "tsumikko" is a dialect word from the Honjo area meaning "to pick up", and is said to have come to be so called because the dough, made by kneading wheat with water, is torn into pieces and placed in a pot as if to "pick up". Because it is made with locally grown flour and plenty of seasonal vegetables, it has a gentle, nourishing flavor and a good nutritional balance. In the Chichibu area, it is also served in school lunches.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the Chichibu area, it was made as a busy meal for farmers, and in Honjo City, it was eaten between jobs when sericulture (silk farming) and weaving used to be popular. Tsumikko, which can be made quickly, was a daily meal that could be prepared and eaten quickly on busy days.

## How to Eat
Add water to flour and knead well, then roll into a ball and set aside. Cut seasonal vegetables such as shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and Japanese leek into bite-size pieces and cook in a pot of soup stock. When the vegetables are cooked, tear the kneaded dough into pieces and put them into the pot. If the dough is soft, use a spoon. When the vegetables are cooked, season with soy sauce and let it simmer. Add grated yam and egg to the dough to make it softer. Sprinkle with shichimi (seven spices) to taste and serve.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)In addition to being made at home, it can also be enjoyed at school lunches in some areas and at restaurants in the prefecture. In Honjo, an event called "Tsumikko Gassen Final" was held in 2019, where in addition to the standard "Tsumikko," soy milk sesame flavor, minestrone style, etc. were served. In addition, the Bushu Honjo Tsumikko Study Group, which promotes and educates the public about tsumikko, offers tsumikko at various events.

## Ingredients
- Wheat flour: 200g
- Water: 140ml
- Soy sauce: 5 tbsp.
- Dashi (Japanese soup stock): 1.8 liter
- Fried thin tofu: 1
- Potato: 2 large potatoes
- Fresh shiitake mushroom: 3 large pieces
- Carrot: 1 medium size
- Japanese leek: 2 medium size
- Greens: A little

## Recipe
1. 1. Peel and cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
2. 2. Julienne raw shiitake mushrooms and fried thin tofu and carrots into quarter rounds.
3. 3. Place hard vegetables such as raw shiitake, potatoes, and carrots in cooled Japanese soup stock and bring to a boil, and then add 3 tbsp of soy sauce while they are still a little hard.
4. 4. Knead the flour well while gently pouring water into the flour, roll into a round ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for about 1 hour.
5. 5. Pull and pinch the dough while dipping it in hand water, then press it with your thumb and place it in a pan over high heat.
6. 6. Add fried tofu and vegetables and adjust seasoning with 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Sprinkle with chopped Japanese leek and boiled greens.

## Provider Information
provider : Chichibu's local dish, "Enjoy it, Yamaai no aji"

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