🍱 Noppei

This local dish, called “Noppei” or “Noppei-jiru (Noppei soup),” can be found throughout Japan, but the ingredients used can vary from region to region. The traditional style of “Noppei” in the city of Hagi (a “jokamachi” or “castle town” during the feudal era, which existed to serve a feudal lord's castle), in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is not only served regularly in common households, but is also a dish that is served during festive and Buddhist ceremonial events, or as a delicacy to welcome guests. In other words, it is an indispensable part of everyday life. Since “Noppei” is often made during winters, in the Hagi region the primary ingredients became root vegetables such as satoimo, gobo, renkon, and carrots, commonly resulting in a slightly thickened sauce. In the past, kudzu starch was used as a thickening agent, but nowadays the use of potato starch or wheat flour is more common. In Hagi, when serving “Noppei” at Buddhist ceremonial events, it is prepared as a vegetarian dish, often by omitting the chicken and adding ginkgo nuts. In the neighboring village of Fukue (now incorporated as a part of Hagi), it was prepared with excess broth.