All over the prefecture

Chicken, taro, fresh fried bean curd, shiitake mushrooms

Imotaki is a one-pot dish of chicken, taro, konnyaku, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients stewed in a pot, and has a history dating back more than 350 years to when the Kato family ruled as feudal lords. It is said to have originated when people brought their own taro, a local specialty, to be served at a traditional event called "Oroori".
In 1966, the event became a city tourist attraction, attracting more than 70,000 visitors a year in its heyday, when people enjoyed taro with the moon on the riverbank. There is a one-month period when the Myohoji Riverbank coincides with the famous cormorant fishing, and the scenery can be enjoyed along with the illumination of the Garyu Sanso (Garyu Mountain Villa) on the right. In the fall, visitors can be seen gathering around a hot pot on the riverbank. In addition to Ozu City, "Imotaki" is held in many other places and has become a mid-autumn tradition in Ehime.

Taro is used in celebratory dishes as a food of good luck for the prosperity of offspring, as it grows from the parent taro to the offspring and then to the grandchild taro. The "imotaki" of taro is held in about 10 places in Ehime Prefecture, mainly in the Nanyo region, and in various areas of Ehime Prefecture, and a large party is held on a riverside in autumn, which also serves as a moon-viewing party.

Peel and boil taro with a little salt. Make dumplings about the size of an earlobe with white bean flour and boil them in boiling water. Fry chicken in oil, add taro and namaage, and simmer in soup stock. When taro is cooked, add taro dumplings, seasonings and sweet and spicy seasoning.

It is still often made at home and passed down from parents to children. Since it is a good source of dietary fiber, it is often prepared for school lunch menus or in home economics classes, and is popular among the younger generation. It is also served at local events.