Nagano Prefecture
Konetsuke

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- Main lore areas
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Hoku-shin area, To-shin area
- Main ingredients used
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Rice, wheat flour, green perilla
- History/origin/related events
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"Konetsuke" is said to have been eaten by Yukimura Sanada, a feudal warlord, to fill his stomach before going into battle. Konezuke is a local dish of the Hokushin and To-shin regions, made by mixing rice and flour and dipping it in miso sauce. It is said that because rice was precious in those days, it was mixed with flour and baked to make people feel full when there was a poor rice harvest. It is said that Yukimura and his brother Nobuyuki ate it together with a farewell cup of sake during Yukimura's last battle in the Osaka summer campaign (1615). Although refrigeration and freezing technology has been developed now, there was no such thing in the past. Konetsuke is a local dish that was born from the wisdom of people who wanted to eat surplus rice without wasting it. The rice grains left in the pot were sometimes soaked in water and soaked in a colander, then dried and eaten.
- Opportunities and times of eating habits
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It is eaten throughout the year. It used to be eaten as a staple food, but now it is often eaten as a snack.
- How to eat
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Knead rice with flour and bake in a pan with oil. There are various ways to make and season the sauce, such as sweet miso, walnut miso, and chili miso. It is also delicious with chopped green perilla or chives in the rice.
- Efforts for Preservation and Succession
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Even today, every household in the Hoku-shin and To-shin regions still makes and eats konetsuke, and it is passed down from parents to children. It is also readily available at local confectionery stores and stores, making it easy to eat.