Northern part of the prefecture

Straw, miso, etc.

Strawbi produced in Yamagata Prefecture, which boasts the largest production volume in Japan, is soft and slimy, and is popular even in the Tokyo metropolitan area as a high-quality strawbi. Generally, after removing the scum from the bracken, the bracken is eaten as a dish such as chopped, boiled, simmered, or in miso soup.
Tataki" in "Warabi Tataki" refers to a method of cooking in which the strawbi is placed on a cutting board and beaten with a knife as if cutting it, thereby breaking the fibers of the strawbi into small pieces. It is said that in the old days, the sound of "thump, thump, thump" could be heard from every home when it was time to pound the strawberries. The tender texture and the flavors of sansho (Japanese pepper) leaves and miso (soybean paste) that go with them are exceptional, making this a local dish that has taken root as a springtime delicacy. Yamagata Prefecture is also home to many other cooking methods that allow the mountain vegetables, which are the bounty of the mountain villages nurtured by the rich nature of the area, to be removed from their acrid taste and eaten with relish, which is the result of the wisdom of our ancestors.

When cherry blossoms begin to bloom after a long winter, wild vegetables such as bracken begin to sprout in the fields and mountains. Straw is usually harvested from May to July, and this "warabi-tataki" is eaten with the arrival of spring.

Before cooking, remove the bracken's acrid taste. After removing the scum from the bracken, take the tips off and boil them until soft, then place them on a cutting board and beat them as if cutting with a knife to break up the bracken fibers. When the strawberries become fine, add miso paste, grated sansho leaves, etc., and pound them further. Pound the strawberries and other ingredients until they are tender.
When serving, you may sprinkle grated ginger or dried bonito flakes on top. It is also delicious served over hot rice, soba noodles, or somen noodles.

In spring, "sightseeing bracken gardens" are opened throughout the prefecture, attracting many people from inside and outside the prefecture. In spring, many people from inside and outside of the prefecture gather to visit these gardens. In addition to freshly harvested strawberries, direct-sale centers also sell strawberries without the acrid taste.