🍱 Asazuke
"Asazuke" is a dish made by boiling rice, then seasoning vegetables and fruits with sugar and vinegar. It is completely different from the generally recognized "Asazuke" (lightly pickled vegetables), and instead is known as a sweet and sour dessert made with rice. This refreshing vinegary dish is eaten throughout Akita Prefecture during the summer. In Akita, the broken rice that is a byproduct of rice polishing is called "Kozaki," and when this is boiled and kneaded, it is called "Kozakineri." Then, when it is seasoned with vinegar, it is called "Konamasu." These names differ depending on the region. Since long ago in Akita, the second rice was used up as koji rice or as a base for pickles, and this Asazuke is another example. Rice planting was once a women's job in Akita, and the perfectly sweet and sour Asazuke eaten after a long day of work was a delicacy that permeated and healed their tired bodies. This dish, which makes good use of the rice that could not be sold on the market, is a traditional food filled with the wisdom of farmers. The ingredients vary depending on the region, but seasonal ingredients such as cucumber, pineapple, mandarin oranges are frequently used by the various households.