“Takamoridengaku”
In this article we will be introducing “Takamoridengaku”, the popular dish of Takamori Town, Kumamoto Prefecture.
Dengaku is a sweet miso paste glazed and grilled tofu skewer.
Long ago, a custom began in rural areas to pray for prosperous grain harvests. This usually meant dancing to the sound of traditional Japanese drums during planting season and harvest festivals. The dancers wearing traditional white “hakamas” (trousers) and earth tone tops are called dengaku performers. Not only do they dance to the sound of drums, they also dance and jump around on traditional bamboo stilts.
The colours of the sweet skewer delicacy, originally being a skewer of grilled tofu glazed with miso, closely resembled the attire of the dengaku performers and as such the dish was called dengaku.
How about Takamoridengaku? Well, 250 years ago, people from Takamori that travelled around Japan ate dengaku in places like Kyoto and Izumo and came up with the idea to include local produce in the recipe. This lead to the inclusion of Takamori taro or “tsuru no ko imo”, fish, konyaku jelly and many other delicious foods in the recipe.
Salmon raised in crystal clear streams, tofu lovingly crafted using Takamori’s famous spring water, konyaku jelly with its delightful texture and umami-packed flavour profile, and seasonal vegetables are generously coated in special homemade miso sauce and then slowly roasted over traditional Irori fireplaces gives this dish its beautiful aroma.
Slipping back into ancient Japan is easy when you stop by one of Takamori’s lush farm villages to eat dengaku at a traditional and picturesque thatched roof house.
As is the case with many traditions, the popularity of dengaku has diminished with the passage of time and overall change in lifestyle of many Japanese. However, the perfectly preserved nature of Takamori Town along with its continual observance of traditional customs means that the taste of Takamoridengaku remains the same as it was centuries ago.
