Image: Wikimedia Commons
Jappa-jiru is a winter local dish handed down in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture. "Jappa" is a Tsugaru dialect word meaning fish scraps, and the dish slowly simmers the head, bones, skin, and innards of cod together with vegetables such as daikon radish, carrot, and green onion in a miso-based broth. In the Tsugaru region, there is a custom of buying a whole cod, head and tail intact, as the "year-taking fish" to greet the New Year; the flesh is used for sashimi or hot pot, while the scraps that would normally be discarded are used to the last bit in jappa-jiru — a dish embodying the wisdom of a snow country that wastes nothing. As a home-cooked dish that warms the body from the core through the harsh cold of winter, it has long been rooted in the dining tables of the Tsugaru region.
Origin
In the Tsugaru region, where winters are severely cold, the practice of using precious ingredients down to the last scrap has long been rooted in the local food culture. There is a custom of buying a whole cod as the "year-taking fish" to greet the New Year; the flesh was used for sashimi or hot pot, while the head, bones, skin, and innards — the scraps normally discarded — were simmered with vegetables, and this is said to be the origin of jappa-jiru.
History
It is a dish that has long been made in households throughout the Tsugaru region, and while the exact period of its origin is not clearly documented, it has been passed down across generations as a staple side dish during the winter cod-fishing season. It is now included in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Our Regional Cuisine" list, and is cherished as a standard winter menu item served at local specialty restaurants, inns, and izakayas throughout the Tsugaru region.
Features
The scraps — cod head, bones, skin, and innards — are slowly simmered with daikon radish, carrot, green onion, tofu, and other ingredients in a miso base. Because the scraps produce a rich broth, the dish develops a deep flavor where the richness of the miso and the umami of the fish blend together. Collagen that melts smoothly out of the bones and the flavor of the liver add further depth, and it is loved as a nutrient-rich winter soup that warms the body from the core.
Main Ingredients
Famous Shops
みちのく料理西むら アスパム店
青森県青森市安方1-1-40 アスパム10F
A long-established restaurant that has served Aomori local cuisine for more than 30 years. Its signature offering is a set meal rich in regional character, featuring jappa-jiru and scallop kayaki-miso, which can be enjoyed alongside local sake from the prefecture.
View details →津軽じょっぱり漁屋酒場 青森本町店
青森県青森市本町2-5-14
A local-cuisine izakaya where live Tsugaru shamisen performances can be enjoyed every night from 7 p.m. It stocks sake from 16 breweries within the prefecture, and its banquet course includes jappa-jiru prepared hot-stone style.
FAQ
Q. What does "jappa" mean?
A. It is a Tsugaru dialect word referring to fish scraps, meaning parts such as the head, bones, skin, and innards of cod that are normally discarded. Jappa-jiru can be described as a dish born of the wisdom of using every last bit of these parts.