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"It’s like stepping into the world of My Neighbor Totoro. "
-Natsuka Kobori
(Akita Fuki, n.d., Akitacchi Plus)
Historical Background
Historical Background
Akita fuki became widely known after an episode in 1748. Satake Yoshimine, the fifth lord of the Akita domain, boasted at Edo Castle that butterbur from Nagakisawa was as thick as bamboo and had leaves as large as umbrellas. Other feudal lords doubted his claim. To prove it, he ordered giant specimens to be sent to Edo. The enormous stalks astonished the lords. This event helped spread the fame of Akita fuki throughout Japan.
Nagakisawa, regarded as the birthplace of Akita fuki, was also known for its natural Akita cedar forests. Late eighteenth-century records, including Toyu Zakki and the writings of Sugae Masumi, mention these giant butterburs. The Edo-period folk song “Akita Ondo” even refers to using butterbur leaves as umbrellas. This shows that Akita fuki became not only a regional product but also a cultural symbol.
（Akita Fuki, n.d., Akitacchi Plus）
Characteristics
Characteristics
Akita fuki is a variety of butterbur. When it grows well, it can exceed 160 centimeters in length, and the hollow stem can reach a diameter of about 7 to 8 centimeters. No pesticides are used at all. However, slugs tend to attach to the plant and are removed by hand. Additional fertilizer is applied during the growing season to help plants grow larger.
In this region, snow typically covers the ground from December to February. Around mid-March, butterbur sprouts begin to appear, and from these sprouts new shoots grow and gradually develop into Akita fuki. As expected from such a giant variety, the sprouts themselves also grow remarkably large.
The harvest season runs from June to early July. Although Akita fuki has the distinctive butterbur flavor, it is quite fibrous and slightly firm in texture. For this reason, it is most often processed into candied products, tsukudani (simmered in soy sauce), or pickles. It is rarely shipped as a fresh vegetable.
Pre-cooking preparation of Akita fuki
Pre-cooking preparation of Akita fuki
Cut into manageable lengths and rub with salt
Boil for about 5 minutes with the salt still on, then transfer to cold water
Peel from the thicker end of the stalk
Soak in rice-rinsing water for 30 minutes to remove bitterness, then wash. Done.
Recipe example
Recipe example
Image by ChatGPT
Nikuzume with Akita fuki
(Akita fuki stuffed with ground meat )
The meat is beef and the taste is like sukiyaki (sweet-and-savory soy sauce flavor ).
Image by ChatGPT
Akita fuki itame (Stir-fried Akita fuki with tuna)
This is a simple and delicious Japanese-style stir-fry made with bite-sized pieces of fuki, fried tofu, and tuna.
To Know More🔍
To Know More🔍
Interview with a Akita fuki farmer
(In Japanese, subtitle is not available)
Akita fuki PR movie from Akita City
(In Japanese, auto-translated subtitle is available)
Picking wild Akita fuki
(In Japanese, subtitle is not available)
Direct Voice from Sakura
Direct Voice from Sakura
I have lived in Akita for four years, and I thought I already knew most of the traditional foods in Akita, including butterbur. However, I didn't know there was such a big butterbur, called Akita Fuki. Like the woman in the picture, I thought I would like to hold it and feel the Totoro world.
What impressed me most is that Akita Fuki is not only big but also deeply connected to local food culture. It has been grown in Akita for a long time and is often prepared in simple, home-style dishes. I learned that the cooking preparation is not very complicated, which made it feel more familiar and accessible.
I also think Akita Fuki shows the richness of nature in Akita. Clean water and fertile soil allow these unique crops to grow. Seasonal vegetables like this remind me how closely daily life in Akita is connected to nature. Next spring or summer, I would like to buy Akita Fuki and try making nikudume myself. I hope I can find it at a local supermarket or farmers’ market. By cooking it myself, I would like to experience Akita’s food culture more deeply.
References
References
Akitacchi Plus. (n.d.) Akita Fuki. https://www.akita-yulala.jp/see/200010148
Akita City Official YouTube Channel. (2019, June 21). Akita bizin ga Akita Fuki wo PR [Akita beautifil women promote Akita Fuki] [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/cp27Tb8wXj0
Akita Hanamaru Green Tourism Suishin Kyogikai. (2010). Kazuno Hanawa sho Akita fuki kari taiken [Akita fuki harvesting experience at Kazuno Hanawa elementary school]. https://www.akita-gt.org/blog/?p=2210
Cookpad Inc. (n.d.). Akita fuki no nikuzume[Akita fuki stuffed with ground meat]. Cookpad. https://cookpad.com/jp/recipes/21896163
Cookpad Inc. (n.d.). Akita fuki no abura itame [Stir-fried akita fuki]. Cookpad. https://cookpad.com/jp/recipes/19717549
Nihon Yasai Terowaru Kyokai. (2023). Akita fuki (Akita Prefecture). Vegepedia. https://vege-terroir.jp/vegepedia/akitafuki/
Nihon Yasai Terowaru Kyokai. (2023, June 20). Akita-ken Niida-shi: Akita Fuki (Akita dento yasai) [Niida City, Akita Prefecture: Akita Butterbur (Akita traditional vegetable)] [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/YAFRS8iM04U?si=iNJ-cNZc1wDrwsie
Odate City Dokodemo Museum. (2017). Akita fuki hassho no chi [The origin of Akita fuki]. https://dokodemo.oodate.city/huki/
Tohoku Regional Agricultural Administration Office. (2022). Shoku iku burogu: Kurikku Hiroba [Dietary education blog: Click Place]. https://www.maff.go.jp/tohoku/syouan/blog/202205.html
Yamazamurai. (2022, July 1). Dai 107-wa “Suki desu Akita, suki desu Akita Fuki” (Sansai – Fuki) [Episode 107: “I Love Akita, I Love Akita butterbur” (wild mountain vegetables – butterbur)] [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/EVX0Yx8AFJo?si=cN1uB6Gd95qb0TDu
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