Shimotsukare すみつかれ

History and Origins

The "Supreme" is a dish prepared with a bowl of rice with a bowl of rice on the first day of February, and a large root and carrots on the caster. History is very old, and there are stories about its origin. There's also the idea of being called "medicine" by "cooking as a family dish" and of being called "sucked" by the way you make it. The minutes are good for spring, summer, fall, and winter, in the old calendar, because spring comes at the beginning of the year, meaning the seasons are divided. They say that in order to have a good year, they have a custom of making beans on a reasonable day, asking for a disease-free disaster, and paying attention to it. There were also other traditions, such as putting an eagle's head on a pea branch, adding to a jasper, and putting it on the entrance of a house, but it is said that families that are now abandoned with age are on the decline.

When It Is Eaten

It is customary to eat on the first day of the year, but it is now eaten as a daily diet.

How It Is Eaten

Put the radish and carrots down with a sieve, put them in a pot, and boil them as they are. You can put the roast beans on a well-boiled surface and add the flavors of sugar, soy sauce and soy sauce. Add a piece of tofu that has been left tofu and a large piece of oil that has been cut into it, and a small amount of wine that has been cooked for several hours.

Recipe — Serves 10

Ingredients

• 1（） daikon radish
• 1/2（1/4） carrot (carrot)
• 1/2 cups（） soybeans
• 2 aburaage (fried tofu pouch)
• 1 blocks tofu
• Mix: a pinch sugar
• Mix: 1/2 cups soy sauce
• Mix: みりん 少量
• 酒かす 少量

Method

1. Take the radish and the carrots down.
2. Put 1 in a large pot, and boil it as it is without water.
3. I'll cook and peel the beans where I used to boil well.
4. I'll put seasoning A in.
5. Tofu is ground and oil is made into a large round.
6. Add a small amount of wine, and boil it with a low flame for a long time.

More About Shimotsukare

Shimotsukare (しもつかれ) is a local Japanese dish served in the Northern Kantō region of Japan, primarily in Tochigi Prefecture but also in Gunma Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture. The dish is generally served on hatsu-u-no hi (初午の日, literally; first day of horse in the month of February) together with sekihan as an offering to appease the legendary deity, inari. Shimotsukare is usually made by simmering salmon head, vegetables, soybeans, abura-age (あぶらあげ or deep fried tofu skins) and sake kasu (酒粕, literally rice pulp from fermented sake). Common additional ingredients include grated raw radish (oroshi daikon) and carrots. The dish is also known as shimitsukari, shimitsukare or sumitsukare in some areas.

Origin and history

The origins of shimotsukare can be traced back to Edo period (1603–1868) and is thought to be a derivation of su-mutsukari (酢むつかり, literally roasted soy beans in vinegar), a speciality dish which was mentioned in mythological narratives of Uji Shūi Monogatari (宇治拾遺物語) and Kojidan (古事談). The origin of the name "shimotsukare" remains in debate. It is also widely believed that as the dish is mainly served in Tochigi Prefecture, formerly known as Shimotsuke Province (下野国), the name of the dish is thought to be a derivation of the phrase shimotsuke no karei (下野の家例, "traditional customs of the Shimotsuke clan")

Presentation

Various presentations of shimotsukare exists in different areas in Japan. The dish is served either hot or cold. Shimotsukare is normally served with rice but could also be taken without it. In some areas, once the dish is simmered, it will not be re-heated again when served.

As a means of preservation, simmered shimotsukare is kept in frozen grounds during winter and served on top of warm rice to allow it to thaw naturally.

Shimotsukare, together with its distinct flavor, scent and semi-liquid appearance is well received by some locals but not all. It is even nicknamed neko no gero (猫のゲロ, literally "cat's barf") by some Japanese.

Nutrition

Some sayings such as "shimotsukare o nana-ken tabearukuto byoki ni naranai" (しもつかれを7軒食べ歩くと病気にならない literally, eating shimotsukare prepared from seven houses will keep you from getting sick) noted that consuming shimotsukare promotes good health. The dish is also sometimes included in jubako (重箱 or Japanese tier bento bako) and shared amongst neighbours to prevent them from catching cold during winter.

Culture

Shimotsukare is a traditional home cooking and the recipe is passed down from mothers to the next generation. Though each preparation carries the same name of 'shimotsukare', ingredients and method of preparation varies from one household to another. Consequently, it is possible for people living in the same district to stumble upon shimotsukare that is totally different from their own preparation.

Shimotsukare can now be obtained conveniently in supermarkets and is sometimes served during kyushoku in some schools in Tochigi Prefecture.

1. ^ "Shimotsukare／Sumitukare ｜ Our Regional Cuisines : MAFF". www.maff.go.jp. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
2. ^ "Shimotsukare - 【郷土料理ものがたり】". kyoudo-ryouri.com. Retrieved 2025-05-02.

Text adapted from the English Wikipedia article Shimotsukare by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dish data: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), “Uchi no Kyodo Ryori” (Our Regional Cuisines) database, used under the Public Data License (PDL1.0); translated and adapted from the Japanese original.