Imoni
芋煮
“Everyone is helping each other and talking to one another. There is a real sense of teamwork and community. Plus, when the weather is cool, the warm Imoni is the best!”
- Daniel Podborochynski
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Historical Background
Historical Background
(Daniel, 2023)
The history of Imoni goes back to the middle 1600s. At that time, people in Yamagata prefecture used the Mogami River for trading with the Kansai area. Nakayama town, which is located in the western part of Yamagata prefecture, was the exact place where the transaction was conducted. Since they did not have communication tools to let the residents know about the arrival of the ship, the sailors coming from the Kansai area had to stay at Nakayama town for a few days. To kill time, they had parties with hot pot dishes there. They used dried cod they brought from the Kansai area and taros grown near the place they arrived, namely Koshio village in Nakayama town as ingredients for the hot pot dish. This hot pot is the root of Imoni, and people started using meat at the beginning of the Showa period.
Characteristics
Characteristics
Imoni is a traditional food of Yamagata prefecture, which is located in the southwestern part of the Tohoku area in Japan. There are two types of Imoni. The inner regions of Yamagata prefecture have soy sauce-based Imoni that contains beef while in the Shonai region, they have miso-based Imoni with pork. Both contain taro root and konnyaku. To preserve this food culture, Imoni is served in hotels, restaurants, and even as a school lunch in Yamagata.
– Imoni gathering (Imoni-kai/ 芋煮会)
– Imoni gathering (Imoni-kai/ 芋煮会)
Imoni-kai is a gathering which is often held in September or October, when the weather is getting cooler. People usually have Imoni-kai riverside or in a park with a group of people. Some people bring vegetables that they grow themselves and everyone helps prepare each other.
– Imoni festival
– Imoni festival
There is a famous big Imoni festival held in September once a year. They cook Imoni in the most huge pot in Japan, called “Nabetarou.”, by using some cranes for constriction. At the festival, more than 30,000 bowls of Imoni are served.
(Daniel, 2023)
(Imoni-kai, n.d)
To Know More
To Know More
How Japanese Chefs Feed 30,000 People With World's Largest Bowl Of Beef Imoni Soup | Big Batches
How Japanese Chefs Feed 30,000 People With World's Largest Bowl Of Beef Imoni Soup | Big Batches
This video is in English!
Japanese meat and potatoes Imoni, Yamagata style!
Japanese meat and potatoes Imoni, Yamagata style!
This video is in English!
【Shonai Imoni】Yamagata traditional dish, how to make Shonai Imoni?
【Shonai Imoni】Yamagata traditional dish, how to make Shonai Imoni?
Japanese only
Where to eat?
・Michi no eki/ 道の駅 (roadside station) Yamagata Zaou– Imoni square Imoni Japan
A square next to the roadside station, where you can enjoy cooking and eating soy sauce-based Imoni by yourself.
・Inokoya yamagatada/ いのこ家 山形田
A traditional cuisine restaurant where you can enjoy various local food such as Yonezawa-gyu (brand beef) and Imoni.
How to make Imoni
How to make Imoni
-Soy sauce-based Imoni-
1, Peel and cut taro, cut green onion, and beef into bite-size pieces
2, Tear Ita-konnyaku into small pieces. You need to boil Ita-konnyaku if it is made from raw sweet potatoes.
3, Put water, taro, and konnyaku in a pot and heat. If the water is light-boiled, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
4, When taro becomes tender, add beef and other seasonings (soy sauce, sugar, and sake) and simmer while removing scum.
5, Add the green onions and cook until it gets flavored.
References
References
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. (n.d.). Our regional cuisines– Imoni(taro soup). https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/search_menu/553/index.html
Nakayama Town. (2023, September). History of Nakayama Town, the Birthplace of Imoni-kai. https://www-town-nakayama-yamagata-jp.translate.goog/soshiki/nakayama_kanko/359.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en
Nihonichi no Imoni-kai festival. (n.d.). 2024 Imoni Festival Report. https://imoni-fes.jp/about_imoni_festival/
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