🍱 Jisuke-imo no Negimiso

"Jisukeimo no Negimiso" is a dish in which potatoes called jisukeimo are steamed and dipped in Japanese leek miso. Jisuke-imo belongs to a potato variety and has been cultivated for more than 100 years mainly in the Ogouchi district of Okutama Town, Nishitama County. The origin of the name "Jisuke-imo" is said to be that when Oine-san came from Tsuru City, Yamanashi Prefecture to marry a Japanese woman, she brought with her a potato (Oine's vine potato) grown in the neighboring Hinohara Village, which Jisuke-san then brought back. Since the Okutama area was not suitable for rice cultivation, it was used not only as a side dish in times of food shortage, but also as an essential part of daily life, as it was customary to cook it with green beans and kelp to entertain guests when they came to visit. Although small in size, it is resistant to disease and is characterized by its white skin and white flesh. Harvest time is around early July, later than that of barley potatoes.It has a rich, sticky taste and is not easily broken down, so it is not only eaten with Japanese leek miso, but is also widely used as an ingredient in simmered dishes and curries. Its sticky and firm texture is a perfect match with negimiso (Japanese leek miso) mixed with Japanese leek and bonito flakes. It is a dish loved by the common people of Okutama.