# Hittsumi (Wheat Flour Dumpling Soup) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Hittsumi (Wheat Flour Dumpling Soup)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Southern Region

## Main Ingredients Used
Wheat flour, chicken, carrot, gobou (= burdock), Japanese leek

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Local cuisine from southeastern Aomori Prefecture to north-central Iwate Prefecture, which was the territory of the former Nanbu domain. In the Nanbu region, where the cold climate was not suitable for rice cultivation, farmlands spread out. Therefore, dishes using minor grains, wheat flour, and buckwheat flour have been handed down from generation to generation. According to one theory, "hittsumi", wheat flour dumpling, has been made since the Heian period (794-1192). It is popular as a soup with a variety of ingredients that can be served as both main and side dish. It has been easily made not only during the postwar food shortage period, but also up to the present day.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
In the southern region of Aomori, wheat has been produced since ancient times. People kneaded wheat flour, stretched and pinched it into small pieces, and then cooked it in a pot. This stretching move is “hipparu” in Japanese, so it is said that the dish name came from this action. Ingredients and soup stock vary from region to region, season to season, and household to household. In coastal areas, crab and seafood are used, while in mountainous areas, chicken is often used and plenty of seasonal vegetables are added. As opposed to noodles, which are also made of flour, "hittsumi" does not need to be stretched and cut. It has been a beloved homemade dish because it only needs kneading and pinching, and is an easy- to-cook tasty dish.

## How to Eat
The trick is to let the dough rest enough after kneading until it becomes stretchy. This creates a unique, firm texture. In the old days, the dough was kneaded during the lunch break and then laid out to be ready for dinner. When you pinch off some pieces from the dough, and put them in a pot, they will cook and rise to the surface. That is the most delicious timing to scoop them out with the other ingredients and soup. The soup with "hittstumi" in a broth with large pieces of crab is a special coastal feast.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)In Hachinohe City, this dish is very popular along with senbei soup. Both are common dishes eaten in homes even today. The "hittsumi" seasoning and ingredients vary from household to household, and the homemade taste is unique to each family. It is often served at local restaurants. Products such as "hittsumi" mix and pre-made nabe sets are now sold.

## Ingredients
- Wheat flour: 500g
- Water: a little less than 2 cups
- Chicken: 200-250g
- Carrots: 1 medium size
- Gobou (=burdock): 1 medium size
- Japanese leek: 3 medium size
- Sake: A little
- Soy sauce: as needed
- Dashi (=Japanese soup stock): 10 cups
- In addition, shiitake mushrooms, seasonal wild vegetables, regular vegetables, and mushrooms can be added.: 

## Recipe
1. 1. Add a little less than 2 cups of water evenly to the wheat flour and knead to a soft consistency.
2. 2. Cover 1 with a wet dish towel and let it rest for 1 hour to half a day.
3. 3. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Shave carrots and gobou(=burdock) .
4. 4. Put Dashi (=Japanese soup stock), chicken, carrot, and gobou(=burdock) in a pot and bring to a boil to make soup.
5. 5. Hold the dough in your left hand, spread them thinly with both fingers, tear them apart, and spread them one by one into the simmering broth.
6. 6. Finally, season with soy sauce and sake. Sprinkle diagonally sliced japanse leek, then turn off the heat.
7. 7. If kneaded well, the soup won’t thicken.If you rest the dough overnight, it will spread even better. When eating "hittsumi", it is best to knead it during lunch break, let it sit, and make it for dinner.

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

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