A little of each town’s story

Red konnyaku

From: A day in Omihachiman, where boats glide through town

Red konnyaku on a black dish beside a can of alcohol-free beer

A local ingredient that spread nationwide from Omihachiman. Its red comes from iron oxide and does not fade with cooking. One story says it was born when Oda Nobunaga, fond of flashy things, had even konnyaku dyed red. It has little of konnyaku's usual smell and a soft, springy texture.

Sources: maff.go.jp

This moment in the journey

An evening meal of Omihachiman specialties

Dinner was an evening of Omihachiman specialties. I sliced cucumber thinly on the board, seared a thick cut of marbled Omi beef, and carved it with a knife. Omi beef is counted among Japan's three great wagyu, and is said to be the country's oldest brand of beef. I kept it simple, with just salt and pepper.

Small dishes went out on the low table, and I poured a glass of alcohol-free beer. Red konnyaku, fine-grained and smooth, gets its color from iron; one story says Oda Nobunaga, who loved flashy things, had it dyed red. It looks festive and is nourishing too.

The pink hinona pickles had a pleasant bite, and chojifu no karashi-ae, cubes of the local chojifu wheat gluten dressed with mustard, is another dish of this region. The chewy texture of the fu kept my chopsticks coming back.

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