🍱 Suko

The largest event of the year in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, called Hoonko, takes place from fall to New Year's around the anniversary of sect founder Shinran's death (November 28 in the lunar calendar, January 16 in the Gregorian calendar); in Fukui Prefecture, it is called Honkosan or Okosama. "Suko" is one of the vegetarian dishes that is given out to the people who gather for Hoonko. The ingredient aka-zuiki is the stem of yatsugashira, a type of taro, and by pickling it its red color becomes even more vibrant. This property of becoming red when vinegar is added is due to anthocyanin; in the past, besides being eaten to "flush out old blood," it was also dried as a preserved food that could stand long periods of storage. Its texture is crunchy, and its sweet and sour taste whets the appetite. It is one of the most popular dishes in Fukui Prefecture. Ono City, blessed by Kuzuryu River and cultivator of various vegetables including taro, is especially well-known as a noted producer of aka-zuiki.