🍱 Hebo meshi

A local dish of Ena City and the surrounding area using the larvae of hebo (black hornet, a bee about 2 cm in length that nests in the ground). High in protein and calories, hebo was a valuable source of protein in this region far from the sea, and was served as a treat to important guests as well as to promote the health of the local residents. The culture of eating hebo is flourishing in the mountainous areas from Shinshu to Okumikawa. In the "Souzan's Book of Wonders" (Miyoshi Souzan, 1850) written in the Edo period, there is already a description of the eating of "hebo-meshi," rice mixed with rice, seasoned with bee larva and soy sauce, in Mino and Shinano provinces, indicating that it was a long-standing food custom. In addition to hebo-meshi, there are other hebo dishes, such as sweetened rice cakes with a savory texture and hebo gohei-mochi, which have been passed down from generation to generation as a secret local cuisine.