5 Regional soups from Japan

Udon Noodle Soup with Bok Choy and Poached Egg

(2 SERVES)

ORIGIN:
There are many stories explaining the origin of udon.
One story says that in AD 1241, Enni, a Rinzai monk, introduced flour milling
technology from Song China to Japan. Floured crops were then made into
noodles such as udon, soba, and pancakes in Japan which were eaten by locals.
Milling techniques were spread around the country.
Another story states that during the Nara period, a Japanese envoy was
introduced to 14 kinds of confection while being in China during the Tang
Dynasty. One of them was called sakubei (索餅), which was listed
as muginawa (牟義縄) in Shinsen Jikyō (新撰字鏡), a dictionary which was
published in the Heian Era. The muginawa is believed to be an origin for many
 kinds of Japanese noodles. However, the muginawa in Shinsen Jikyō was made
with wheat and rice flour.
Another story for udon claims that the original name of the noodle was konton,
which was made with wheat flour and sweet fillings.
Yet another story says that a Buddhist priest called Kukai introduced udon
noodles to Shikoku during the Heian Era. Kūkai, the Buddhist priest, traveled
to Tang Chinaaround the beginning of the 9th century to study. Sanuki
Province claimed to have been the first to adopt udon noodles from Kūkai. Hakata
claimed to have produced udon noodles based on Enni's recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

 4 to 5 cups - Low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

 2 - Star anise pods
 1 (3-inch) - cinnamon sticks
 2 - Large eggs
 14 ounces - Fresh or frozen udon noodles
 4 to 5 - Large bok choy leaves, sliced into ribbons
 2 - Scallions, thinly sliced
 3 to 4 - Tablespoons soy sauce

PROCEDURES:

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (The broth
should be about 2 inches deep in the pan.) Add the star anise and cinnamon and
simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to infuse the broth with the spices. When finished, use
a slotted spoon to remove the spices.

Crack the eggs into separate measuring cups and slip them into the simmering
broth, one at a time. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the noodles and bok choy. Stir
very gently to submerge the noodles and bok choy, but so as not to break the
eggs. Cook for another 2 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are completely set
but the yolks are still loose. (Cook for an additional minute if you like your yolks
set.)

Off the heat, gently stir in the soy sauce and the scallions. Taste and add more
soy sauce if necessary. Divide the soup between 2 bowls and eat immediately.
Hoto Soup

Origin
Wheat farming and the flour culture were brought into Yamanashi prefecture due
to shortages in local rice crops. Sericulture had turned lands traditionally
reserved for rice crops into silk farms, and flour products like hōtō were invented
as a means to counter food shortages which arose from this change in
agriculture.
This transition may have begun in Yamanashi's Gunnai region, where rice
farming was impossible to start due to cold temperature and large amounts of
volcanic debris embedded into the soil. Wheat farming spread through the rest of
the prefecture and into the neighboring Nagano, Shizuoka, Saitama,
and Gunma prefectures, where similar cuisine using flour dough and soup can
also be found. For example, a dish called nibōtō, which is identical to hōtō except
with a soy sauce-flavored soup, can be found throughout Saitama and Gunma
prefectures.
 INGREDIENTS:
(4 servings)

1. 250 g Plain Flour

2. 125 ml (1/2 cup) Water
3. 3 cups Dashi Stock
4. 1/2-1 Carrot
5. 200-300 g Chicken *thinly sliced (*can be replaced by Pork or Tofu)
6. 3-4 Satoimo (Taro) or 1 large Potato
7. 3-4 Shiitake or Shimeji
8. 1/4-1/2 Daikon
9. 1/8 Pumpkin
10. 1-2 Abura-age (Deep-fried Thin Tofu)
11. 3-4 tablespoons Miso
12. 2 Spring Onion *thinly sliced

PROCEDURES:

1. Make noodles first. Mix Plain Flour and Water in the ratio of 2 to 1 and make
dough. Flatten the dough using a rolling pin or pasta maker and cut into about
1cm width.
2. Prepare the Vegetables and Chicken. Slice or cut vegetables into small bite size
pieces.
3. Heat Dashi Stock in a pot, add Vegetables and Chicken and cook over medium
heat until almost tender. Then add Miso and uncooked Noodles. The amount Miso
to add depends on the type and saltiness of Miso.
4. When noodles are cooked and the soup is thickened, add chopped Spring Onions
and serve.
Miso Soup

ORIGIN:
Miso (みそ or 味噌) is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting
soybeans with salt and koji (the fungus Aspergillus oryzae) and sometimes rice,
barley, or other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

 3 cups* (720ml) water

 1¼ tsp. dashi - Hikari Miso Japanese “DASHI” Soup Stock**
 3 tbsp. miso - Hikari Organic Miso Red Type
 ½ pkg - 5 oz. (150 g) soft tofu cut into small cubes
 1 ea. green onion thinly sliced
 2 tsp. dried wakame seaweed available at Asian markets and grocery
sections
PRODUCER:

1. Pour the water into a saucepan and bring to a soft boil. Add Japanese
“DASHI” Soup Stock and whisk to dissolve. Turn the heat off.
2. Add Hikari Miso Organic Miso Red Type and some dashi stock and whisk
until miso paste is completely dissolved.
3. Return to a simmer, being careful not to boil the miso soup. Add the tofu and
wakame and cook for another minute or until heated thoroughly. Remove the
saucepan from the heat and ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with green
onions and serve immediately.

Kenchin Jiru
ORIGIN:
Kenchin jiru, also spelled kenchin-jiru, and sometimes referred to simply
as kenchin, is a Japanese vegetable soup prepared using root
vegetables and tofu.[1][2] It is a popular dish in Japan and is prepared in various
manners using myriad ingredients. It has been stated that the dish originated
several centuries ago from Kenchō-ji, a temple, and it has also been suggested
that the dish has its roots in shippoku cuisine.

Ingredients:

5 to 6 taro (satoimo), peeled

1/2 large daikon, peeled
1 1/2 carrots, peeled
1 burdock root, about 12 inches long (gobo)
1 (10.5-ounce, 298 grams) block konnyaku, cut into small strips
9 ounces/250 grams fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly
sliced
2 aburaage, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 piece (about 6 inches x 6 inches) kombu
1 to 2 dashi sachets (optional)
1 (14-ounce/400 gram block) firm tofu, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced (or 1 negi, if available)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 to 4 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
Additional toasted sesame oil and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), to
garnish

Preparation
1. Break the tofu into 2cm squares with your hands and put them in a flat colander to
drain.
2. Peel the daikon radish and cut it lengthwise in half, and then cut those pieces in half
again to make four bars. Lay them sideways and chop them into 5mm slices. Peel
the carrot and cut it lengthwise in half and chop into 4mm thick slices.
3. Wash the satoimo, wipe away its moisture and then peel off the skin. Chop into 5mm
thick slices and put them in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, rub the salt into the satoimo
slices with your hands, and then rinse off the salt and slime with water.
4. Take out the dried shiitake mushrooms soaked overnight in water and squeeze out
any moisture. Keep the shiitake stock aside to use for later. Cut off and discard the
shiitake stems and make 1mm-thin slices with the caps.
 5. Cut the small green onions into fine rings to use as seasoning. Scrape off the white
bitter pith of the yuzu peel and slice the peel into fine strips.
6. Heat the sesame oil in a pan and start with frying the daikon radish and carrot.
When the two vegetables have a nice oil coating, add the satoimo, then the shiitake
and tofu last.
7. Once all the ingredients have a nice oil coating, add the bonito dashi stock and
100ml of shiitake stock. Cook over medium heat and let the soup come to a boil.
Turn down the heat to low, add the soy sauce, cover, and simmer gently for 20
minutes.
8. After 20 minutes, check the texture of the vegetables. If they are soft, taste the soup
and add a small amount of salt to bring out flavor before turning off the heat. Serve
the soup in bowls and sprinkle the green onions and yuzu on top. Add some
cayenne pepper if you like.

Kabocha squash soup

ORIGIN:
Kabocha Squash is an Asian variety of winter squash. Japanese simply call
it Kabocha (南瓜、かぼちゃ、カボチャ) and the word kabocha refers to all kinds of
pumpkins in Japan. In Australia and New Zealand, kabocha is commonly
called Japanese pumpkin and here in North America we refer to it as Kabocha
Squash.
 Ingredients
 ½ onion
 1.4 lb kabocha squash/pumpkin (1.4 lb = 640 g)
 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 Tbsp = 20 g) (See Note)
 2 cups chicken broth (2 cups = 480 ml)
 1 ½ cups milk (1 1/2 cups = 350 ml) (I use whole milk)
 ½ cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (1/2 cup = 120 ml) (See Note)
 2 tsp kosher salt
 Freshly ground black pepper
Topping

 Parsley

Instructions
1. Thinly slice the onion. Using a spoon, discard the seeds from the kabocha
squash and cut into thin 6 wedges.
2. Remove the skin and cut into small equal size cubes.
3. Heat the butter over medium heat in a pot and cook the onion until soft and
brown.
4. Add the kabocha squash and sauté to coat with butter.
5. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat
and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
6. Using a skewer, insert into kabocha and check if it’s fully cooked.
7. Puree the soup in batches in blender or puree with a hand blender until
smooth.
8. Add the milk and heavy cream and stir till combined and do not let the
soup boil.
9. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir over moderately
low heat until it is hot.
10. Ladle the squash soup into bowls, garnish with the chopped parsley and
serve.