🍚 Cha-meshi (rice boiled in tea flavored with sake and shoyu)

Cha-meshi is said to have originated from "Nara Cha-meshi," which was first served at Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple in Nara, and was handed down by travellers to Imajo, which was an post town. "Cha-meshi" is mainly used for Buddhist ceremonies and has been passed down as a specialty of Imazu. Nowadays, it is consumed not only during Buddhist ceremonies but also on various occasions. In the past, it was a custom that when a funeral occurred, relatives would cook imo no ko (taro cormlet) and chahan, pack them into a coin-shaped o-hitsu (rice container), and present them along with salted butterbur and simmered imo-no-ko. Moreover, during the annual largest event of Jodo Shinshu sects called "Hoonkou" held around the anniversary of the death of the founder, Shinran, (November 28th in the old calendar, January 16th in the new calendar), which takes place from autumn to the new year, in Fukui Prefecture, there are regions where people gather for "Hoonkosan" or "Okosama." As part of the devotional cuisine served during the Hoonkou event, some regions offer "Cha-meshi". "Cha-meshi" is made using tea with added soybeans, combining hojicha with soybeans to enhance nutritional value. This local dish, a creation of the wisdom of our predecessors, allows one to enjoy the richness and aroma of hojicha while taking in winter protein. It is one of the dishes that parents make to welcome their daughters and grandchildren when they return home after getting married. "Cha-meshi" can be considered an unforgettable "taste of hometown."