🍲 Tonkotsu (Simmered Spare Rib)
‘Tonkotsu' is a local dish simmered roasted spare rib with ‘shochu' distilled spirit after grilled, with konjac (yam cake), daikon radish or other vegetables, miso and brown sugar. The origin of this dish is an outdoor food prepared during hunting or war by samurais in Satsuma area (current Kagoshima Prefecture), and it is said that Saigo Takamori, famous Japanese samurai in Kagoshima during the end of Edo Era, loved the dish. Kagoshima Prefecture is famous for ‘Kurobuta' (Berkshire), which is originated pigs transferred from Ryukyu area (current Okinawa Prefecture) by Shimazu Iehisa, the 18th head of Satsuma Domain. It was improved by crossbreeding with England Berkshire. There was a period to increase breeding fast-growing pigs and to decrease Berkshire breeding, but the current ‘Kagoshima Kurobuta' (Kagoshima Berkshire) brand is established by promoting Berkshire pork, which is tender and rich in flavor. In addition, producing ‘mugi-miso' (barley miso) is flourishing thanks to its mild weather. Barley miso from Kagoshima Prefecture is sweet due to high amount of ‘koji' (malted rice) and less salt. Since many local ingredients from Kagoshima Prefecture, like pork, barley miso, brown sugar and potato ‘shochu' are used to prepare ‘Tonkotsu', it has been popular as a representative local food in Kagoshima Prefecture.