Uzume Meshi (Rice Hiding Simmered Toppings)
Uzume Meshi (Rice Hiding Simmered Toppings)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Uzume Meshi is a local dish handed down in the Iwami region in the western part of Shimane Prefecture, especially in Tsuwano Town. Ingredients such as tofu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and kamaboko (fish cake) simmered in dashi (broth) are placed in a bowl, garnished with wasabi and seri (Japanese parsley), and then covered with rice; this 'burying' (uzumeru) of the ingredients is said to be the origin of the name. At first glance it looks like ochazuke (rice with tea poured over it) garnished with wasabi, but when you stir it, the ingredients appear from underneath. It is introduced as having been selected, along with Fukagawa meshi and others, as one of 'Japan's five great rice dishes' in a nationwide survey of local cuisine in 1939 (Showa 14). It is said to have originated in the Edo period, and there are various theories as to why the ingredients are hidden. It has been eaten as supper on cold winter days and as a dish for entertaining guests at kagura performances at New Year. Today it can be enjoyed at restaurants in Tsuwano Town and at town events.
Origin
Several theories have been handed down as to why the ingredients are hidden under the rice. One holds that it was to keep people from noticing any luxury under the frugality edicts of the Edo period; another, that it was to escape the eyes of the lord of the Tsuwano domain, who disliked extravagance. There is also a theory that it was a thoughtful gesture to let guests enjoy expensive wasabi without feeling hesitant. It is also said that because there was little to offer guests besides mountain vegetables, people were too embarrassed to show them openly and served them modestly.
History
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 'Uchi no Kyodo Ryori' (Our Regional Cuisines) lists Hamada City, 匹見町 in Masuda City, Tsuwano Town, and other places as the main areas where it has been handed down. Tsuwano has been known since the Edo period as a production area for root wasabi (ne-wasabi). Uzume Meshi was eaten as supper on cold winter days, and it also became a dish for entertaining guests at the 'spring kagura' (春神楽), a New Year event. A custom of keeping one's eyes lowered when serving or eating it has also been handed down. A similar dish exists in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Features
The ingredients are finely chopped, simmered in dashi, and seasoned with light-colored soy sauce (usukuchi), salt, and mirin, a little more strongly than a clear soup. The ingredients and broth are placed in a bowl and topped with grated wasabi, chopped seri, and nori (seaweed), and then freshly cooked rice is placed on top like a lid. Burying them under the rice is said to keep the aromas of the wasabi and seri from escaping until just before eating. Depending on the area or household, the dashi may be made from grilled sea bream (tai), and chicken, satoimo (taro), or gobo (burdock root) may be added.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
池田和哉, president of のれん宿明月, a ryokan (Japanese inn) in Tsuwano Town, has introduced how to make Uzume Meshi in a prefectural public relations magazine, wishing to pass on Tsuwano's traditional home cooking to the next generation. Because it takes little effort to prepare, it is also made in ordinary households, and it is served at restaurants and events in the town.
Famous Shops
遊亀
島根県鹿足郡津和野町後田ロ271-4
A long-established local cuisine restaurant about a 5-minute walk from Tsuwano Station, serving an Uzume Meshi set meal. It is introduced as a dish in which seri, carrots, shiitake, tofu, and other ingredients are hidden under the rice, to be enjoyed with a refined dashi. It is said to be closed on Thursdays.
割烹 石心亭
島根県鹿足郡津和野町後田ロ665
A kappo (traditional Japanese) restaurant run by the inn 旅館明月, where the Uzume Meshi set meal is available only from November to April. According to a listing in Rurubu (a travel guidebook), it costs 1,650 yen, meals are by reservation only, and it is closed on Mondays. Inquiries are handled by 旅館明月.
沙羅の木 松韻亭
島根県鹿足郡津和野町後田ロ70
A restaurant run by 沙羅の木 on Tonomachi Street. It is introduced that with the lunch 山菜つづり (a mountain vegetable meal), the rice can be changed to Uzume Meshi. You can enjoy the traditional taste of Tsuwano, with mountain vegetables modestly hidden under the rice.
FAQ
Q. Is Uzume Meshi different from ochazuke?
A. It looks similar to ochazuke garnished with wasabi, but instead of tea, it is a dish in which ingredients simmered in dashi are hidden under the rice. When eating, you stir it or pour dashi from the pot over it, and eat it lightly and smoothly like ochazuke.