Kamonasu Dengaku is a local dish representative of a Kyoto summer, made using "kamonasu," a traditional Kyoto vegetable. Whole, round kamonasu eggplants are cut into rounds or halves and slowly deep-pan-fried in oil, then generously topped with dengaku miso — a paste made by blending white or red miso with mirin, sugar, and sake. Kamonasu has firm flesh that holds its shape well when cooked and pairs well with oil, making it a vegetable well suited to dengaku preparation. Around July, the time of the Gion Festival, it is served as a seasonal delicacy not only at home but also in Kyoto's traditional restaurants (ryotei) and eateries, and it is cherished as a dish that adds color to a Kyoto summer. Kamonasu has a long history of cultivation, appearing in the 1684 (Joukyou 1) text Yoshu Fushi, and it is said to have once been grown in the Yoshida and Tanaka districts of Sakyo Ward.
Origin
Kamonasu is a type of round eggplant that has long been cultivated in Kyoto, appearing in the 1684 (Joukyou 1) text Yoshu Fushi. It was originally grown in the Yoshida and Tanaka districts of Sakyo Ward, but production later shifted to the Kamigamo and Nishigamo areas of Kita Ward, and it is said to have come to be called "Kyo Kamonasu" in the Meiji era. Taking advantage of its large size and firm flesh, the way of cooking it as dengaku became established.
History
Because kamonasu holds its shape well when cooked, the dengaku style — deep-pan-frying it in oil and then topping it with miso — spread as a Kyoto home dish. Kamonasu comes into season in summer, and around the time of the July Gion Festival it also began appearing on the menus of ryotei and eateries, becoming a local dish cherished as a symbol of a Kyoto summer.
Features
Kamonasu is round, over 10 centimeters in diameter, with firm flesh, and it holds its shape well even when slowly cooked through with plenty of oil absorbed. It is finished soft enough to eat skin and all, paired with a sweet dengaku miso made from white or red miso. Many shops add kinome (young sansho leaves), sesame, or poppy seeds as a colorful garnish.
Main Ingredients
Famous Shops
精進料理 矢尾治
京都市下京区高辻堀川町358
A catering shojin cuisine (Buddhist vegetarian cooking) restaurant founded in 1868 (Meiji 1). Offers kamonasu dengaku on its menu.
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