# Junjun ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Junjun

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
The entire prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Beef (or chicken or lake fish), tofu, konjac noodles, green onions, garland chrysanthemum, etc.

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Junjun is a hotpot dish of beef, chicken, lake fish, and so on seasoned in the style of sukiyaki. Junjun made with beef or chicken is eaten on special occasions such as the New Year and Obon. Junjun made with lake fish is mainly eaten around lakes such as the Kohoku region, Kosai region, Koto region, and Okishima.It is said that the name “junjun” comes from the sound that is made when the ingredients are boiled in a pot. It is said that it has long been eaten by simmering isaza gobies, eels, and catfish caught in Lake Biwa with seasonal vegetables.In addition, ingredients such as Omi beef, one of Japan's three major wagyu beef, isaza gobies endemic to Lake Biwa, and Toyoura green onions and Azuchi Nobunaga green onions produced around Azuchi Town, Omihachiman City, where Azuchi Castle was located, go well with junjun and can be eaten even more deliciously. In particular, Toyoura green onions, which are a traditional vegetable of Shiga Prefecture, are produced in small quantities, but have a good flavor and become soft and sweet when heated. On the other hand, Azuchi Nobunaga green onions are thick, and their deep sweetness increases when heated. Both are vegetables that go well with hotpot dishes. In addition, Shiga Prefecture's specialty products such as chojifu and red konjac are also suitable for hotpot dishes. Chojifu is characterized by its square shape, chewy texture, and smooth mouthfeel. Red konjac is dyed red with iron sesquioxide, which is good for one’s health.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Because it is made with seasonal ingredients, it can be eaten all year round, but it is said that beef and chicken are often used when attracting customers during the Obon and New Year holidays. It is a dish designed to be eaten all year round with lake fish, beef, and chicken along with seasonal vegetables.

## How to Eat
The meat (or lake fish) is lightly fried in a sukiyaki pot and vegetables and seasonings (or sukiyaki stock) are added. When the juices ooze out, konjac noodles, tofu, gluten, etc. are added and simmered.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
It is still eaten in each household and is passed down from parent to child. Initiatives are being implemented, such as a limited-time campaign where you can taste various versions of junjun made with plenty of ingredients from Shiga Prefecture at inns, hotels, and restaurants in Shiga Prefecture in 2018.

## Ingredients
- Beef: 500g
- Beef tallow: 1
- Green onions: 250g
- Chrysanthemum greens: 1 bundle
- Tofu: 1 block
- Konjac noodles: 100g
- Shimeji mushrooms: 1 bag
- Chojifu: 4 pieces
- Sugar: 60g
- Soy sauce: 80ml

## Recipe
1. 1. Cut the meat into easy-to-eat pieces.
2. 2. Cut the green onions into 3cm sections, remove the roots from the chrysanthemums, and cut them in half.
3. 3. Cut off the roots of the shimeji mushrooms and separate them.
4. 4. Cut the tofu into 3 cm cubes.
5. 5. Cut the chojifu into half or thirds, soak them in water, and squeeze.
6. 6. Heat the sukiyaki pot and add beef tallow to dissolve it.
7. 7. Put the beef in the pot and lightly stir-fry it. Add the green onions, chrysanthemum greens, and shimeji mushrooms, and add sugar and soy sauce (sukiyaki stock is also acceptable). When the juices come out, add the konjac, tofu, and chojifu and simmer.
8. 8. Add the ingredients while adjusting the taste, and stir the pot.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe provider name: Shiga Food Culture Study Group

![Image](Not found)