🍱 Bon Jiru

In the Edo period (1813) “Matsuzaka Fuzokuki” (previously called “Matsuzaka”), which recorded the annual events and customs of Matsuzaka, there's a record which is thought to indicate “bon jiru.” It states: “The soup is made of burdock, eggplant, and dried gourd shavings. Many soybeans are ground up and added in.” Zen Buddhist (one type of Buddhism, a sect of Mahayana Buddhism) households don't eat meat or fish, and instead would eat miso soup with lots of seasonal vegetables as ingredients instead of a dashi stock made of bonito flakes or dried sardines, because killing is not allowed during Obon. Dashi stock isn't used because it's made of dried bonito or dried sardines, but fried tofu is used instead. By adding a lot of ingredients, the soup is delicious even without adding dashi stock. Also, since it's made to welcome the ancestors on the Bon Festival, it's characterized by having more types and amounts of ingredients than normal soup. Since there are so many ingredients, it's like a boiled vegetable dish. In the northeastern part of Matsuzaka City in particular, yard beans (juroku sasage) are called bon sasage, and it's said that they're always put in the dish because they're ready to eat around the time of the Bon Festival. Depending on the region, this soup is also called “nana iro jiru” because it uses 7 (nana) kinds of ingredients. In Sugari, Owase City in the Eastern Kishu region they make “hachihai” with tofu and “hyuga jiru” (clear soup) with gourd shavings on the day when they send off spirits.