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Sanpei-Jiru ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Hokkaido Prefecture

    Sanpei-Jiru

Sanpei-Jiru

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  • Main lore areas

    All of Hokkaido Prefecture

  • Main ingredients used

    Salmon, Cod, Herring, Potatoes, Daikon Radish

  • History/origin/related events

    "Sanpei-jiru" is a local dish consisting of salted fish, such as salmon or herring, stewed together with vegetables, such as carrots, and daikon radishes. There are various theories as to the origin of the name "Sanpei-jiru." One theory is that it was named "Sanpei-jiru" because the lord of the Matsumae Domain was on a hunting trip and ate the soup stewed with whatever was available at the home of a fisherman named Sanpei Saito, who liked it so much that he named it "Sanpei-jiru." There is also a theory that the name "Sanpei-jiru" came from the fact that it was served on a “Arita-yaki” deep dish called “Sanpei-zara” dish.
    It is said to have been eaten for more than 200 years, and a record of "Sanpei-jiru" can be found in the "Touyuki," a memoir of the late Edo period. "Sanpei-jiru" is made by stewing raw fish, that has been preserved in salt, with vegetables, and seasoning it with only the salt content of the fish. It is sometimes combined with “Ishikari- nabe,” which also uses salmon as an ingredient, but unlike "Ishikari -nabe," which uses raw salmon, in a "miso" broth, "Sanpei-jiru" is characterized by its use of mainly salted salmon.
    The fish and seasoning used vary from region to region. In the central and eastern regions of Hokkaido, salted salmon is used, while in the northern region of Hokkaido, salted cod is sometimes used. In the Hiyama region, there is "Shio-Sanpei" using salted pollack, and "Miso-Sanpei" using salted salmon, seasoned with miso.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    Often eaten during the cold winter months, it warms the body from the inside out. Often eaten at home, it is a staple winter dish in Hokkaido.

  • How to eat

    After making soup stock with kombu (kelp), salted or rice bran pickled fish, are simmered with vegetables. Fish, such as salmon, cod, or herring are often used, and vegetables such as carrot, daikon radish, green onion, and potato. Fish heads and bones are also simmered together to enhance the flavor. Ingredients vary from household to household. The seasoning can be miso, soy sauce, or sake lees.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation society, utilization of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
    Even today, "Sanpei-jiru" is still made at home as an everyday side dish throughout Hokkaido, and has become a staple winter menu item. Unlike in the past, the method of preparing "Sanpei-jiru" today has been handed down from household to household and region to region, with some households using different seasonings and seasonal vegetables.
    "Sanpei-jiru" is often served at events held in Hokkaido during the winter.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Salmon leftovers (bony parts) as needed (about half a fish)
  • Potato 160 g
  • Daikon radish 80g
  • Carrot 30g
  • Green beans 30g
  • Green onion 30g
  • Gobou (burdock root) 30g
  • Konjac (yam cake) 60g
  • Konbu (kelp) Dashi (Japanese soup stock) 3 cups
  • Mirin(sweet rice wine) 1 tsp.
  • Salt A little
  • “Shichimi” (seven spice chili peppers) A little
  • Sake 1 tsp.

How to cook

  • 1. Salt the salmon and cut into 3 cm pieces.

  • 2. Cut Potato, daikon radish, and carrot into chunks, gobou (burdock root), into thin strips, and konjac (yam cake), into bite-sized pieces.

  • 3. Put dashi (Japanese soup stock), vegetables, and konjac (yam cake) in a pot and simmer until tender. Add salmon, simmer for a while, season with mirin and salt, and add green onions cut into 2 cm pieces just before finishing.

  • 4. Arrange on a “Sanpei,” dish and garnish with “shichimi -togarashi” (seven spiced chili pepper).

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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