🍱 Houtou

Houtou" is a typical local dish of Yamanashi Prefecture, known to everyone as "Uimono da kabocha no houtou," which means "good pumpkin houtou" in Japanese. It is also called "noshire" or "noshikomi" in the southern region. In mountainous areas where rice cultivation is not suitable, it has long been popular as a staple food to replace rice. Because of this, making "houtou-men" was also considered an apprenticeship for marrying into the family. Since salt is not mixed in when making the noodles, there is no need to boil the noodles in advance to remove the salt content. Houtou is also highly nutritious and goes well with vegetables and meat. Houtou" is the name of a type of "dumpling" that has been known since the Heian period, when it was eaten by aristocrats for ceremonial purposes.