Free Recipes

Every meal is a gift from Kamui.

Respecting nature and offering gratitude. Traditional Ainu cuisine are usually wild sika deer, brown bear, wild rabbits, fish and other sea foods. Wild plants and sea vegetables, berries, grasses were also foraged. Making sure to leave the roots in the earth. They knew that the wild animals were also eating those plants.  The Ainus pickled and dried most of the foods to store for the winter months. Different regions of Hokkaido developed their own dishes. Here I share dishes I learned to prepare from my mother. 

Nejiri Yomogi Ame  (mugwort candy)

  • 1 tbsp mugwort powder
  • 1 Tbsp rice syrup
  • 3 Tbsp kinako powder (roasted soybean flour)
  • Directions: in a medium sauce pan, heat the syrup over low flame until liquidy.
  • *Add the mugwort powder in slowly and mix well.
  • *Add the kinako  and combine well. 
  • *On a cuting board or plate, sprinke a bit of kinako.
  • *place hot mixture on top till cool enought to handle. 
  • *cut into finger size pieces, roll in flour, twist to shape.
  • *after its cooled down, the taffy will harden. 
Spring Sour Ume Sauce
2 ume boshi plums seed removed and mashed
1 Tbsp  each of Tamari , olive oil, ume vinegar, lemon juice, 
2 cloves garlic chopped, more or less
2 inch ginger chopped
Mix all the ingredients well and marinade your favorite meat or tofu for one hour. Heat your pan and stir fry your meat/tofu
 

Hokkaido SANPEI JIRU

The winters in Hokkaido is very cold, this soup is a nice way to keep warm. A 200-year-old recipe from Hokkaido consist of salty fish and seasonal vegetables.

The name San pei jiru comes from three words: san for three, pei for salted salmon and jiru for soup. It was named after a fisherman named Sanpei who made this soup for the feudal lord of the Matsumae clan.

Ingredients

Salted fish: salmon mackerel or herring. Traditionally only scraps were used. Vegetables: radishes were used but let’s add scallion, potato, carrots, and wild plants.

Kombu for broth, a 3×3 sixed piece.

4 tsp of sake rice wine, and salt to adjust the flavor if needed.

Direction

Cut the fish into 3 in. pieces

Peel and cut the vegetables into cubes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the cut fish and blanch for 30 seconds, drain and rinse. This cuts the fishy smell.

Put the fish in a large pot, add 4 cups of water, kombu and cover with a lid. Boil about 5 minutes. Remove the kombu.

Add the vegetables and, cook till tender

Add sake and salt if you did not use salted fish.

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