Okuzukake is a Buddhist vegetarian dish traditionally made around the spring and autumn equinoxes, Obon, and memorial services in Sendai City and the southern Miyagi (Sennan) region. Burdock root, carrot, taro, dried shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu, tofu, and mamefu (bean-flour gluten dumplings) are simmered together with other vegetables and dried ingredients in a broth, Shiroishi umen noodles — a specialty of the Shiroishi area — are added, and the whole dish is finished with a thickened consistency. The name comes from the fact that the broth was once thickened with kuzuko, starch extracted from the roots of wild kudzu vines growing in the mountains and fields; today potato starch is commonly used instead. It is also said to have been modeled on the Zen Buddhist fucha-ryori dish 'unpen,' and traditionally contains no meat or fish, though many households add katsuo dashi or chicken as their own variation. When relatives gather for the equinoxes or Obon, it has developed as a dish offered before the family Buddhist altar alongside zunda mochi and ohagi, and served to entertain guests. Handed down across generations as a taste of 'mother's cooking,' it remains part of everyday life on tables across southern Miyagi today.
Origin
The name comes from the fact that the broth was once thickened with kuzuko, starch extracted from the roots of wild kudzu vines growing in the mountains and fields. It is also said to have been modeled on the Zen Buddhist fucha-ryori dish 'unpen,' and as a vegetarian dish made without meat or fish, it has long been passed down from Sendai City through the southern Miyagi (Sennan) region. In some areas it is also called 'suppoko.'
History
Okuzukake developed as a dish prepared when relatives gathered for the spring and autumn equinoxes, Obon, and memorial services, offered before the family Buddhist altar alongside zunda mochi and ohagi and served to entertain guests. In the Shiroishi area, known for its specialty umen noodles, adding them to the dish became standard, and it has been passed down across generations as part of local food culture. It was once a labor-intensive dish that began with extracting kuzuko starch from kudzu roots at home, but as potato starch became widely available, it changed into a dish that households could prepare easily.
Features
The basic form simmers vegetarian ingredients such as burdock root, carrot, taro, dried shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu, tofu, and mamefu in a broth made from things like the soaking liquid from dried shiitake mushrooms, adds Shiroishi umen noodles, and thickens the whole with potato starch (formerly kuzu starch). While it traditionally contains no meat or fish, many households freely adapt the recipe to their own taste, adding katsuo dashi or chicken, or substituting other noodles for Shiroishi umen.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Okuzukake developed as a dish offered before the family Buddhist altar and served to entertain guests on occasions when people gather, such as the equinoxes, Obon, and memorial services. As a representative seasonal dish of southern Miyagi, it is served alongside zunda mochi and ohagi to brighten the table, and it continues to be handed down with each household adding its own touches.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
While traditionally a vegetarian dish made without meat or fish, it is also common for households to add katsuo dashi, chicken, or pork, and it is loved as a taste of 'mother's cooking' that goes beyond the boundaries of strict vegetarian cuisine. Specialty restaurants, drawing on their location in the birthplace of Shiroishi umen, often use hand-stretched noodles and seasonings closer to the original vegetarian style, which is where they differ.
Famous Shops
白石温麺専門店 つりがね庵
宮城県白石市本町46（きちみ製麺敷地内）
A restaurant specializing in Shiroishi umen, housed in an Edo-period thatched-roof building. Offers a hearty version of okuzukake called 'Furusato no Aji Okuzukake Tenobe Umen (Warm),' among other dishes.
View details →| おくずかけ（つりがね印） | A retort-pouch okuzukake ingredient set made and sold by Kichimi Seimen. Contains vegetables, mamefu, fried tofu, and other ingredients in a soy-sauce-based broth, meant to be prepared together with Shiroishi umen. Comes in a 250g pack for around 432 yen (tax included).Where to buy →PR |
|---|
FAQ
Q. What does the 'kuzu' in 'okuzukake' refer to?
A. The name comes from kuzuko, starch once extracted from the roots of wild kudzu (kuzu) vines growing in the mountains and fields, which was used to thicken the broth. Today, potato starch is more commonly used for thickening because it is easier to obtain.
Q. Is okuzukake a noodle dish or a soup?
A. The basic form is a thickened broth of simmered vegetables and tofu, to which Shiroishi umen noodles are added. Rather than a dish centered on the noodles themselves, it is more accurate to think of it as a soup — a vegetarian thickened sauce — combined with noodles.