🍲 Mousou-jiru (Bambooshoot Soup)

"Mousou-jiru" is a local dish using "Mousou", a type of bamboo shoot. The season of "Mousou" starts from Kyushu and goes north along the season, then will be the peak season in mid-May in Tsuruoka City, considered as the most northern place to cultivate the bamboo shoot. There are many "Mousou" bamboo shoots growing around Yudagawa-Onsen, the hot spring in Tsuruoka City, and this are is famous for "Mousou" production. It is said that wet red clay soil makes "Mousou" high-quality, and "Mousou" harvested in Yudagawa area is known nationally as "Yudagawa Mousou". There are many stories why "Mousou" had prevailed in Tsuruoka City, but it is said that the origin is the "Mousou" brought from Kyoto by "shugenja" (mountain ascetic) with commercial ship from Hokkaido, then planted in the temple. The "Mousou Festival" is held from late April to early June in Yudagawa Onsen. Many people from inside and outside of the prefecture come to enjoy "Mousou-jiru" and other mousou dishes, a morning mousou market, and a mousou harvesting experience. Mousou-jiru is also a popular dish at the Sakata Festival and the Tsuruoka Tenjin Festival, both held in May.