Keiran Soup
"This dish embodies a coziness and warmth ingrained into the prefecture."
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Historical Background
Keiran soup was traditionally served at the 'Autumn festival', a festival honouring the hard work of the season with a feast amongst relatives and friends. The dish is said to have come to Aomori from Kyoto and Osaka during the Edo period. Today, it has cemented itself as a staple in the Shimokita region.
Characteristics
The meal is typically served at ceremonious occasions such as weddings and funerals. This dish is distinctive for the three egg-shaped dumplings that float in the middle of the soup, resembling a bird's nest. Filled with sweet red bean paste, this soup balances a sweet and salty flavour profile, the kelp and shiitake mushroom broth lending itself to the salty flavour.
Copyright Amazing Aomori - The Official Aomori Travel Guide. All Rights Reserved.
To Know More
How to make keiran soup
[Japanese only]
Direct voice from Caitlin Smith
I believe that keiran soup is a perfect expression of the creativity and heart behind Aomori's cultural output. A sweet meal resembling a bird's nest, this dish embodies a coziness and warmth ingrained into the prefecture. This soup is also a cultural signifier of Japan's embrace of community and love, as the dish is historically rooted in recognising the hard work of others. Aomori is filled with cultural artefacts of this vein, so please visit this wonderful prefecture and try this dish!
References
References
Aomori Prefectural Tourism Federation. (n.d.). Keiran soup. Amazing AOMORI. https://aomori-tourism.com/en/gourmet/detail_2939.html
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. (n.d.). Keiran. Our Regional Cuisines. https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/search_menu/850/index.html
By Caitlin Smith
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