🍱 Buta-ae

The Amakusa region, consisting of some 120 islands of various sizes, is blessed with an abundance of seafood, especially the specialty octopus, which grows on shrimp and crabs and is known for its quality, including its elastic texture. Drying octopus is a summer tradition, and National Route 324, where such a scene can be seen, was named "Amakusa Ariake Tako Kaido (Amakusa Arake Octopus Road) " in 2005, in an effort to promote the region with its specialty, octopus. While there are new octopus dishes being created, "Buta-ae" made with eggplant and boiled octopus is a local dish that has been popular in the area for a long time. It is based on the Okinawan dish "Goya Chanpuru", which was originally made by substituting octopus caught in Amakusa Bay for pork, which was precious and hard to find in the Amakusa region in the old days. For a long time, when we could get a lot of eggplant and bitter gourd, we could also get a lot of octopus, this unique dish was introduced as "Buta-ae" even after it was established as a dish of stir-fried summer vegetables and octopus with miso (barley miso). The spicy-sweet miso flavor with sugar and hawk's claw (chili pepper) enhances the taste of octopus and the sweetness of vegetables, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice or as a snack with sake. The main vegetable used is eggplant, but each family has its own arrangement, including bitter melon, bell pepper, carrot, pumpkin, and other vegetables, as well as the way in which they are cut.