Drive to Horaiji (2) - Local cuisine “nameshi dengaku”

Along the pathway to Horaiji Temple, there is a restaurant Kasasugi (かさすぎ) run by local people.

There we had a set meal with nameshi dengaku. Nameshi is rice mixed with chopped radish leaves, and dengaku is skewered and grilled tofu with miso paste on top. This combination is well-known as a local specialty of this area. Recently, an airline company AirAsia Japan introduced nameshi dengaku as a vegetarian menu for their in-flight meals. I was very glad to hear that because I always wished that people from abroad could have more chances to know about Japanese traditional vegetarian or vegan food, especially local cuisines loved by ordinary people.

The five skewers of dengaku were substantial and satisfactory. The grilled surface of tofu was a little harder compared with the inside, adding elasticity. Miso paste had a strong and rich taste. The radish leaves mixed in fluffy rice seemed to be fresh, not dried.

In addition to nameshi dengaku, there were also sashimi konnyaku, cooked deep-fried tofu and vegetables, pickles and soup. Konnyaku is jelly made from konnyaku yam roots, and sashimi kyonnayku is a kind of konnyaku eaten as it is like sashimi or raw fish. While sashimi is eaten with soy sauce, sashimi konnyaku is often eaten with vinegared miso. In the sauce in this set, I felt also the flavor of yuzu.

The soup was flavored with bonito broth and contained also boiled fish paste. When I go out with my family and it is difficult to find a completely vegan or vegetarian option, I eat such a dish.