Murayama area, Okitama area

Eggplant, cucumber, Japanese ginger, green perilla, soy sauce

This is a staple summer dish in Yamagata Prefecture in which you can easily eat vegetables in their raw form. This dish has been mainly eaten in the Murayama region, which is surrounded by mountains and has extremely hot and humid summers, and is still a part of the local people's lives today. “Dashi" is made by chopping up and seasoning summer vegetables such as cucumbers and eggplants, which contain a lot of water, and savory vegetables such as green perilla and myoga (Japanese ginger), which is suitable when the heat makes you lose your appetite. It has long been a popular speedy dish to make during the busy farming season. There are a number of theories as to the origin of the word "Dashi" (soup stock), for example, because “Dashi” brings out the best in other ingredients; “Dashi” comes from the word “Kiridasu” (cut from) used when vegetables are chopped into small pieces using a knife; and “Dashi” comes from the word “Dasu” (serve) used when vegetables are quickly served at the table after being chopped and seasoned. If there are 100 houses, there will be 100 different flavors of “Dashi”, and it is very interesting to see how many different recipes there are. The basic ingredients are eggplants and cucumbers, but some families add green perilla, myoga, green onions, and onions to the ingredients. It is also possible to make it sticky by mixing yam, okra and natto kelp (chopped kelp). The basic seasoning is soy sauce, but sometimes mentsuyu (noodle dipping sauce) or soy sauce with dashi is used.

A classic summer dish. It is eaten on a daily basis.
It is usually served in a large container and people usually take their favorite amount and eat it on top of rice.

Dashi" made by chopping fresh summer vegetables into small pieces can be served in a variety of ways, such as on rice, cold tofu, or as a condiment in soup for somen noodles and soba noodles. It is not uncommon for restaurants to offer "dashi pasta," "dashi pizza," carpaccio with dashi on top, and other arrangements. For children, corn or edamame (green soybeans) are popular. Dashi is sometimes eaten as is as a side dish to accompany alcoholic drinks.

Even today, dashi is made and eaten at home. Some supermarkets and direct sales outlets sell homemade "dashi" made by the producers. There are also local restaurants that offer creative dishes using dashi. Dashi is also widely popular as a tourist souvenir of Yamagata Prefecture.