🍱 Udo no Sumiso Ae

"Udo no Sumiso Ae" (Udo with vinegared miso) is a typical dish using udo, one of the few vegetables native to Japan."Udo" has been cultivated in Tokyo since the late Edo period (1603-1868) and is one of the traditional Edo Tokyo vegetables along with Nerima Daikon and other vegetables. It grows in a pit called a "Muro", which is about 3 to 4 meters deep, and because it is not exposed to light, the white fiber is soft and has little bitterness, giving it a unique flavor and texture. The entrance to this "Muro" is small enough to fit one person, and vegetables are labor intensive in this small space from planting to harvest. Since the late Edo period in the 1830s, "Udo" cultivation began around Musashino Hachimangu Shrine. This area, formerly the village of Kichijoji in Bushu-Tama County, has had a thriving agricultural industry since the Edo period (1603-1868). The firm geological formation of the Kanto Loam layer and the temperature and humidity are suitable for "Udo" cultivation, and production began to flourish in this area. Since 1948, research has been done on softening "Udo", which is cultivated in a cellar, and the "Udo" softening method has since spread to the Kita-Tama area.