🍲 Sumitsukare (Simmered Daikon Radish and Soy Beans)

“Sumitsukare” is a local dish in the northern Saitama region, and it has been enjoyed as a special dish for the ritual of Hatsuuma (Chinese New Year) and as a preserved food in winter. It consists of daikon radish roughly grated with a wooden grater called "oni-oroshi," combined with dried soybeans left over from Setsubun, along with vegetables and fried thin tofu simmered in a pot. In some regions or households, finely chopped heads of new-season salmon are added. In the hilly areas like Urawa and Ageo on the northern Adachi Plateau, it is referred to as “shimizukari,” while in eastern lowlands like Kazo, it is known as “shimitsukari.” Similar dishes are prepared in neighboring regions of Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Chiba, although the names may vary slightly.