🍲 Natto Jiru(natto soup)
In Yamagata Prefecture, it was common for people to make natto (fermented soybeans) at home as a way of preserving food to get through the winter when foodstuffs are in short supply. Natto was made by stuffing boiled soybeans into a tube made of straw and placing it in a warm place such as beside the kotatsu (heating table covered with a blanket) for one or two nights. In the Murayama area of Oe Town, fermented soybeans without strings are made into "Natto Jiru” (natto soup). “Natto Jiru” is a winter home-style dish that has been popular in Yamagata Prefecture for a long time. Natto is milled in a mortar until it becomes completely creamy, then thickened and blended into the soup. “Imogara”, made from dried stems of Karatori potatoes, is an indispensable ingredient in “Natto Jiru”. It was a valuable source of protein with plenty of tofu and fried tofu, along with dried and salted products and other preserved foods. It is eaten on the day of Nanakusa (January 7) in the Murayama area, on New Year's Day in the Mogami area, and in the Shonai area, it is sometimes eaten on "Daikoku-sama no Otoshiya (New Year's Eve of God of Wealth)" (December 9).