🍱 Fukumen

“Fukumen” is said to have been passed down as an event food for the Uwajima clan, and the main ingredient, konjac, is made from konjac potatoes, which were often harvested during the famine of the Edo period, and at the time, it began to be cultivated for food security. There are several origins of the name “fukumen.” In Uwajima, konjac is called “yamafuku,” and for this dish, it is cut into thin strips like noodles, so it is called “fukumen.” Also, there are theories that it got its name because the konjac is completely covered with minced meat, and also because “fukume” means to cut the ingredients into small pieces. It is said to have come to be served as a special occasion dish to represent the four seasons, with the pink minced meat placed on top of the konjac representing spring, the green onion representing summer, the orange tangerine representing autumn, and the white minced meat representing winter.