# Stir-boiled Wakagobou (new burdock root) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Stir-boiled Wakagobou (new burdock root)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Kawachi area (Yao City)

## Main Ingredients Used
Wakagobou, deep-fried tofu

## History, Origin, and Related Events
This local dish is a specialty of Yao City made by stir-frying and then boiling deep-fried tofu and wakagobou.Wakagobou is a leafy burdock plant grown mainly in Yao city, and is popular as an ingredient that represents spring since it is harvested in the beginning of the season. Unlike ordinary gobou (burdock root), where only the root is eaten, the leaves, stalk, and new roots of this vegetable are edible. It is known for having a pleasant aroma and crispy texture, and has a high nutritional value containing rutin, iron, and dietary fiber. Gobou is said to have been introduced as a medicinal herb from China in the Heian period, and its cultivation spread as a specialty of Yao City during the Edo period. Shirojikuya Gobou, a leafy variety of the burdock root, came to be cultivated in the middle of the Showa period, and was a variety where the leaves, stems, and roots could all be used. Wakagobou is used in a variety of dishes such as kakiage and pasta, but it is normally stir-boiled.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Because wakagobou is harvested from the end of January until the beginning of April, stir-boiled wakagobou is also eaten during this period. It is enjoyed at home as a side dish or as a snack with alcoholic beverages when it is in season.

## How to Eat
The root of wakagobou is cut into long, thin shavings, the stem is cut into three to four centimeter pieces, and both are rinsed with water to remove any bitter taste. The deep-fried tofu is cut into thin rectangles after the excess oil is removed. The wakagobou root, deep-fried tofu, and stem are quickly stir-fried in that order. They are then seasoned with dashi soup stock, soy sauce, and mirin sweet rice wine.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
The wakagobou of Yao City acquired the regional collective trademark under the name "Yao Wakagobou" in August 2013. The city, local JA group, and other organizations are widely promoting it as a regional specialty, and are also making efforts to popularize stir-fried wakagobou through publishing recipes and other methods.

## Ingredients
- Wakagobou: 400g
- Deep-fried tofu: 1.5 pieces
- Vegetable oil: 1.5 tablespoons
- Dashi soup stock: 50cc
- Dark soy sauce: 1.5 tablespoons
- Mirin sweet rice wine: 1.5 tablespoons

## Recipe
1. 1. Slice the root of the wakagobou into thin strips, and the stem into three centimeter pieces before rinsing with water.
2. 2. Cut the deep-fried tofu into thin rectangles after removing any excess oil.
3. 3. Quickly stir-fry the ingredients in the order of root, deep-fried tofu, and then stem. Add in the dashi soup stock, dark soy sauce, and mirin to give the dish a vividly colored finish.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: "Osaka Local Cuisine Collection - The Tradition of Event Foods and Food Culture" (Osaka Prefectural School Lunch Association)

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