# Sangon ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Sangon

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Amami Area

## Main Ingredients Used
(1st course) rice cake, shiitake mushroom, fish cake (kamaboko), and egg(2nd course) white fish sashimi(3rd course) chicken (or pork), daikon radish, and carrot

## History, Origin, and Related Events
When you think of Japanese New Year’s dishes, osechi or zoni may come to mind but in the Amami island region, “sangon” is eaten instead. The name comes from the three dishes that are served: a rice cake soup served in a lacquered red bowl, sashimi, and chicken or pork soup served in a black bowl.The red bowl, sashimi, and black bowl are eaten in this order, and a cup of shochu is passed around all family members to sip in between each meal. Saigo Takamori, a samurai, fled to Amami Oshima after gaining the attention of the shogunate during the Great Ansei Incident. During his stay, he married Aikana, the daughter of the most prominent family in Oshima and celebrated with “sangon”.Originally, “sangon” was a type of Japanese cuisine invented during the Muromachi period and became more refined during the Edo period. However, today it is only served at special occasions such as weddings and funerals, and is not well known among the younger generation. Despite this, eating sangon is an event deeply rooted in New Year’s tradition in the Amami islands.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Many families have “sangon” on New Year’s Day. It is also eaten at weddings, school entrance celebrations, graduation ceremonies, and many other celebratory occasions.

## How to Eat
On New Year’s morning, the head of the household calls out “Oshoro!” which roughly means “Let’s offer a drink”, thus beginning the ritual of sangon. The first course is served in a red bowl. It consists of a soup with rice cakes, fish cake, fish, shrimp, and other seafood. The second course is a bowl of white fish sashimi, yet some houses serve sashimi of octopus instead. The final course is the third course, which is a soup of chicken or pork served in a black bowl. Shochu is drunk in between each course.During sangon, some families also eat “shumuri” which is a dish made of salt, squid, kelp, along with dried fish.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Although the custom of “sangon” is still alive, today’s busy world has had some families gradually stop making it. University professors and other intellectuals have started promoting the tradition of sangon and other aspects of Amami’s local food culture.

## Ingredients
- [First Course]Rice cakes: 4
- [First Course]Fish: 4 pieces
- [First Course]Ffish cakes (kamaboko): 4 pieces
- [First Course]Eggs: 2
- [First Course]Dried shiitake mushrooms: 4
- [First Course]Prawns: 4
- [First Course]green onions: proper quantity
- [First Course]Kombu (kelp): 1 sheet
- [First Course]Bonito flakes: 30 g
- [First Course]Dashi soup stock (mixed with shiitake mushroom stock): 800cc
- [First Course]Salt: 1tps
- [First Course]Light soy sauce: 1／2tps
- [First Course]Sake or Mirin: 1tps
- [Second Course]white fish (for sashimi): 4 slices
- [Second Course]salt: add to taste
- [Second Course]Ginger: 8 thin slices
- [Second Course]Vinegar: add to taste
- [Second Course]Soy sauce: add to taste
- [Third Course]Chicken (preferably hen): 1
- [Third Course]Radish: 400 g
- [Third Course]Carrots: 150 g
- [Third Course]Green onion: 1
- [Third Course]Salt: 1／2tps
- [Third Course]Dark soy sauce: 1tps

## Recipe
1. 1. [First Course] Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in enough water to cover them. Remove any dirt from the bottom of the shiitake and cut slits into the shape of a cross.
2. 2. Cut the sheet of kombu into fourths. Then pour 800cc of water into a pot, then add the cut kombu into the pot. When it rehydrates, turn on the heat and then remove the kombu just before the water comes to a boil. Add the bonito flakes into the pot and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat again. Gently strain and then add the shiitake mushroom stock to the 800cc of water. Add shiitake mushrooms and bring them to a boil, then season with 1 teaspoon of salt, light soy sauce, and mirin.
3. 3. Lightly salt the fish and grill it.
4. 4. Gut the prawns with a bamboo skewer and quickly boil them in a slightly salted boiling water.
5. 5. Cut the eggs in half or into a flower shape after boiling. Make four pieces.
6. 6. Boil the rice cakes.
7. 7. Cut the fish cake or kamaboko.
8. 8. Cut green onions into small pieces or tie them into a knot and boil.
9. 9. Add dashi (bonito stock) to the pot of shiitake broth. Next, add the prawns simmer them for a while. Before that, put in the fish cake to warm it up.
10. 10. Spread the kombu onto the bowl. Add the shiitake mushrooms, fish, fish cake, prawns, eggs, and rice cakes, then gently pour in the hot broth. Finish by garnishing with green onion.
11. 11. [Second Course]Lightly salt the fresh fish for sashimi.
12. 12. Cut the fish for the sashimi.
13. 13. Arrange two slices of sashimi on a plate and top with a thin slice of ginger. Pour vinegar and soy sauce over the slices and serve.
14. 14. [Third Course]Cut the chicken into fourths, heat the water and simmer for one hour while carefully removing the foam from the chicken broth.
15. 15. Dice the daikon radish and carrot into bite-sized pieces. Remove the ends.
16. 16. Cut green onion into small pieces.
17. 17. Put 1,000 cc of chicken broth into a pot, then add the chicken, daikon radish, and carrots. Simmer.
18. 18. When the daikon radish and carrot become soft, season.
19. 19. Add salt, dark soy sauce, and sake or mirin to taste.

## Provider Information
provider : NPO Amami Shokuiku Shoku Bunka Project

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