Mimi is a local dish handed down in the Jikkoku district of Fujikawa Town, Yamanashi Prefecture. Wheat flour is kneaded, rolled out thin, and cut into squares about 5 cm on each side. Two corners on one side are pressed together to make a triangle, and the piece is shaped like a 'mi,' a winnowing basket used as a farm tool. These are simmered in niboshi (dried sardine) dashi together with vegetables such as daikon radish, taro, and burdock, and seasoned with miso. The dough is similar to that of Hoto (Flat Noodles Simmered in Miso), but the shape is completely different, and no pre-boiling is needed. The name is said to come from its resemblance to the shape of a mi, and there is also a theory that it is because it resembles an ear (mimi). The mi carries the meaning of 'scooping up good fortune,' and it is also said that 'fukumi' (lucky winnow) changed into 'mimi.' As an auspicious dish, in Jikkoku it is still offered to Toshigami-sama (the deity of the New Year) on the morning of New Year's Day before the family eats it. Mimi-making experiences are also available at a local facility.
Origin
There are various theories about its beginnings. In Jikkoku, there is a tradition that a general of the Genji (Minamoto clan) ate mimi to celebrate a victory in battle. Yamanashi Prefecture's introduction also relates a story that long ago, the villagers promised the deity that they would dedicate a fukumi if they won a boundary dispute with a neighboring village. Ever since, it is said, 'mimi' likened to a mi have been offered and eaten every year on the morning of New Year's Day.
History
Jikkoku is a mountain village near the Southern Alps. In Yamanashi, where rice was precious, a flour-based diet (funshoku), including hoto, has supported daily life. Unlike hoto, which was handed down as an everyday household meal, mimi has been passed down mainly as a dish offered to the deities on festive occasions such as New Year and also served at the table. In recent years it has also drawn attention as a theme for community revitalization, and some schools serve it in school lunches along with an explanation of its origins.
Features
For the dough, lukewarm water is added to wheat flour, kneaded well, and left to rest for about 30 minutes under a damp cloth. It is rolled out thin with a rolling pin and cut into squares, and two corners are moistened with water and pressed together. It is said that the mi shape helps the broth cling well and keeps the pieces from falling apart even when simmered. The ingredients include daikon radish, carrots, taro, burdock, shiitake mushrooms, and Japanese leeks. Once the vegetables have softened, the mimi are added and simmered, and miso is added at the end.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In Jikkoku, it is customary every year at breakfast on New Year's Day to offer mimi to Toshigami-sama before the family partakes of it. It has also been made at festivals, celebrations, and other times when relatives and many people gather. Besides being handed down in each household as the taste of home, it is also passed on through hands-on classes held at a local facility.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
At home, it is common for family and relatives to gather on New Year's Day or celebratory days and make it in a large pot. At a local facility, a set meal is also offered in which mimi is accompanied by simmered dishes and vegetable tempura. The broth is not as strongly miso-flavored as hoto, and it can also be eaten while changing the flavor by adding a special condiment.
Famous Shops
つくたべかん
山梨県南巨摩郡富士川町十谷2294-7
A facility where you can taste traditional cuisine through making mimi, as handed down in Jikkoku. Mimi, wheat flour shaped like a mi, are simmered with locally grown vegetables and handmade miso. A 'Mimi Gozen' set meal is available by reservation, and hands-on classes are also held. Closed on Thursdays.
FAQ
Q. Where does the name 'mimi' come from?
A. It is said to come from the shape of the dough, which resembles a 'mi,' a farm tool used for winnowing grain. It is also said that, as an auspicious item that scoops up good fortune, it was called 'fukumi' (lucky winnow), which then changed into 'mimi.' There is also a theory that it is because it resembles a human ear.
Q. How is it different from hoto?
A. Both simmer wheat-flour dough with vegetables and miso, but hoto is a wide noodle, while mimi is bite-sized dough shaped like a mi. In addition, whereas hoto has been handed down as an everyday household meal, mimi has been passed down mainly as a dish for festive occasions such as New Year.
Q. Is it the same dish as Mimi Udon from Tochigi Prefecture?
A. They are different dishes. Mimi Udon, handed down in places such as Sano City in Tochigi Prefecture, is made by shaping the dough like a human ear. Jikkoku's mimi is made in imitation of the shape of a mi, a farm tool, and simmered in miso with vegetables. Although their shapes are similar, the origins of their names and the ways they are eaten differ.