🍲 Namabushi to Negi no Nimono (Simmerd dish of Half-dried bonito and Japanese leek)

In Nara Prefecture, which does not face the sea, people used to eat a simmered dish of namabushi (half dried bonito), which lasts for a long time. Namabushi is a processed product made by roasting bonito in the manufacturing process. It can be used in a variety of dishes because it has no fishy smell, is easy to eat, and is a natural food with high protein and low calories. Namabushi is often cooked and eaten with seasonal vegetables such as Japanese leek, fuki butterbur, peas, and bamboo shoots. It is especially well matched with Japanese leek, so this "Namabushi to negi no nimono" is a popular dish. The secret is to cook it with a thick soy sauce flavor and more dashi (Japanese soup stock). In Kawanishi Town, Nara Prefecture, there is a legendary "Yuzaki Nebuka" that has been passed down in Yuzaki, the birthplace of the Kanze school of Noh. It says that in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), a leek fell from the sky with a mask of an okina old man and was planted there by the villagers, whereupon it grew into a magnificent leek. The leeks became famous as Yuzaki Nebuka, and the area is said to be famous for its Japanese leek. Yuzaki Nebuka is soft and sweet, making it suitable for stewed or dressed dishes. In Nara Prefecture, the word "negi" is also called "nebuka".