🍱 Taimo no Korobashi

In Kochi Prefecture, taro is called taimo and has been eaten since long ago as a valuable source of nutrients that ranks second to rice. It does not lack sweetness and has a soft and flaky texture. It also has a unique viscosity. Large ones were made into "taimo rice;" it is said that this was a way to bulk up meals during the war when rice was difficult to obtain. Smaller ones were used as an ingredient in miso soup, candied mash, and stews. "Zuiki," their dried stems, were harvested before the harsh winter came, peeled, dried and stored as a preserved food in people's homes. Sakawa Town, located in the mid-western part of the prefecture, flourished as the castle town of chief retainer Fukao of the Tosa Domain; even now sake breweries, sake storehouses, and old merchant houses are still part of the charming townscape. This area had similar taimo-eating customs as other areas; however, "taimo no korobashi" is a local food unique to this area. This is a dish that uses taimo and resembles "nikkorogashi" (root vegetables boiled in broth). It is distinct in that soy sauce and sugar are used to give it a salty-sweet flavor, with sesame sprinkled on as a finishing touch. It is said that it was named "korobashi" since the taimo is tossed ("korobasu") with sesame. Since the preparations take time, it is said that this was a dish made when there was time to spare.