The Maker Speaks
Imoni
The Comfort Pot of Tohoku, Not Just Yamagata
The Comfort Pot of Tohoku, Not Just Yamagata
I have investigated what became a regional dish in the southern part of Akita, therefore. As carved on your knowledge, Yamagata and Akita are next door neighbors. Akita is being to the north of Yamagata.
“Imoni” is a famous local dish of Yamagata. When the end of summertime comes, in Yamagata, they get to make an instant cooking stove for “Imoni” at riverside here and everywhere. “Imoni” means a pot with taros, meat and konnyaku. Every September, Yamagata holds “Yamagata Imoni Festival” in Yamagata city.
Yamagata Imoni Festival
In the southern area of Akita, Imoni are more popular than kiritanpo, they say. Their explanation told us that Imoni have become the comfort food of Tohoku regions except Aomori, not just Yamagata. Actually in Miyagi and Yamagata, they rent out pots for Imoni at the co-op stores and supermarkets during autumn.
Culture in Yamagata directly means Imoni, we can say. Their passion has leaped across the oceans. Also in Germany, the Imoni party has been held every September since 2008. Yamagata Newspaper told us that the starter was a Japanese adult living in Germany, who moved from Yamagata for work-related issues.
Imoni Pot Flavored with Miso
Tohoku regions including Yamagata don’t so cultivate taros, in passing. According to the data of 2012, actually, the top 3 of taro production amount were Miyazaki, Chiba and Saitama. Besides, it is said that Imoni are not so popular in Aomori because it was too cold to grow taros there.
“Imoni” is a famous local dish of Yamagata. When the end of summertime comes, in Yamagata, they get to make an instant cooking stove for “Imoni” at riverside here and everywhere. “Imoni” means a pot with taros, meat and konnyaku. Every September, Yamagata holds “Yamagata Imoni Festival” in Yamagata city.
Yamagata Imoni Festival
In the southern area of Akita, Imoni are more popular than kiritanpo, they say. Their explanation told us that Imoni have become the comfort food of Tohoku regions except Aomori, not just Yamagata. Actually in Miyagi and Yamagata, they rent out pots for Imoni at the co-op stores and supermarkets during autumn.
Culture in Yamagata directly means Imoni, we can say. Their passion has leaped across the oceans. Also in Germany, the Imoni party has been held every September since 2008. Yamagata Newspaper told us that the starter was a Japanese adult living in Germany, who moved from Yamagata for work-related issues.
Imoni Pot Flavored with Miso
Tohoku regions including Yamagata don’t so cultivate taros, in passing. According to the data of 2012, actually, the top 3 of taro production amount were Miyazaki, Chiba and Saitama. Besides, it is said that Imoni are not so popular in Aomori because it was too cold to grow taros there.
※Photos by Public Relations Office of Yamagata Prefectural Government
・Yamagata Imoni Festival Official Site (Japanese)
Kiritanpo by Jujiya Wanko-soba by Azuma-ya
The Standard of Local Cuisines in Akita
Don’t Hurry, You Can Go At Your Own Pace
