Hōtō, a delicious Japanese soup
Everyone loves Japanese cuisine – sushi, sashimi, tempura, ramen and so on. But many gaijin (foreigners) know little of Japanese cuisine beyond these classic dishes.
Dear gaijin, you must travel to Yamanashi to discover some of the other treasures of Japan. Yamanashi is a Japanese prefecture to the southwest of Tokyo on the island of Honshu, and encompasses the northern part of Mount Fuji.
Yamanashi is also known as Japan’s “fruit kingdom,” producing more grapes, peaches, and plums than any other part of the country, plus a remarkable variety of other delicacies. In earlier articles, we have discussed the central role of Yamanashi in Japan’s wine industry.
Hōtō is a delicious soup from Yamanashi Prefecture which I discovered during my wine walks. It is traditionally a miso based broth with pumpkin and other seasonal vegetables added.
Vegetables differ by season; negi, onions, and potatoes are commonly included during the summer, while taro, carrots, and Chinese cabbage make up the winter ingredients, along with various types of mushrooms such as shiitake and shimeji.
It is generally thought that the best taste is brought out by boiling pumpkin in the miso soup until it becomes tender and melts into pieces. Hōtō also includes flat udon noodles.
Hōtō is commonly believed to have been eaten by Takeda Shingen, the regional warlord during the era of warring states, and his samurai before going into battle.
As I prepared my Hōtō, it can be a very simple, easy and delicious soup. I started with 3 onions, one head of garlic and two inches of ginger, which I fried until golden. I then threw in a plastic sack of frozen vegetables.
Next comes the key elements. I boiled half a pumpkin, chopped into small pieces, which I then added to the pot. I also added two-thirds of the pumpkin broth to the pot, along with three spoons of miso paste. We did not include any udon noodles. Ann, our maid, played a leading role as my sous-chef in preparing the Hōtō.
One problem though! Within 24 hours I had eaten all the soup, and will now have to start all over again. Hōtō has been perfect for treating the flu I am suffering from. But whatever your state of health, Hōtō is unbeatable.
Please notice the photo of a tree in all its autumn colours, which stands in front of our apartment. Its colours harmonise beautifully with the Hōtō soup.