Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

The saying "First Fuji, second a hawk, third eggplant" is said to be auspicious if it appears in your first dream of the year, but did you know that there is a theory that this comes from the things that the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu liked?3Min1Tokugawa Ieyasu, who spent his early years in Suruga Province, now central Shizuoka Prefecture, is said to have been fond of Mount Fuji, which can be seen from Suruga Province, his hobby of falconry, and eggplants grown in Suruga. This is why he coined the phrase "First Fuji, second hawk, third eggplant." The eggplants that inspired the phrase are still grown in the prefecture today. We visited the producing area to find out what kind of eggplants they are.

I visited the Miho-Orido area of ​​Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, near the famous Miho no Matsubara pine forest. It is said that the "Orido eggplant" grown here was Ieyasu's favorite eggplant.

"Orido eggplants are a historic crop that was once presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu, but due to unstable yields, cultivation ceased around the Meiji period and the plant disappeared from the world. However,20About a year ago, I found out that there were seeds remaining at an agricultural experiment station in Mie Prefecture, so I acquired a few seeds and revived the Orido eggplant."

So says Moriki Sakurada, a producer of "Orido eggplants" and chairman of the "Orido eggplant research group."JABelongs to Shimizu6It is made up of many producers and is working to improve and popularize cultivation techniques for Orido eggplant.

"Orido Nasu is an original eggplant variety, so it is more difficult to cultivate than improved varieties, and the yield is not stable. For this reason, we exchange information with other producers and go through a process of trial and error," says Sakurada.

The Miho-Orido region where Orido eggplants are grown has sandy soil with long hours of sunlight and a warm climate, which makes it easy for crops to grow, so greenhouse cultivation has been practiced for a long time. Sakurada has been involved in greenhouse cultivation of cucumbers and tomatoes for many years, and is using that know-how to cultivate Orido eggplants.

"3Sow seeds in the moon,4Seedlings are planted every month.5It will be possible to harvest from the end of the month,6~7The month of May is the peak shipping month.6Month1On the 10th, they make an offering to the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine in Suruga Ward, where Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined, and pray for a good harvest. The yield drops in midsummer, but after that, autumn eggplants can be harvested, and they can be shipped until the end of the year.

The plump Orido eggplants are grown. As shown in the photo, the size of the PVC pipe is used as a guide to determine whether they are the right size for harvesting.

The annual production of "Orido eggplant"10~15Tons. It is distributed mainly to local supermarkets and restaurants.

"Compared to regular eggplants, this one has firmer flesh and a rich, full-bodied flavor. It retains its shape even when cooked, making it ideal for dishes that use oil, such as tempura or deep-frying," says Sakurada.

I immediately tried using the freshly picked Orido eggplant in a dish. When I cut it, I could see how finely textured the flesh was.

I grilled a halved "Orido eggplant" and topped it with meat miso. When I put it in my mouth, it was very juicy and the natural sweetness of the ingredients spread across my tongue.

"I hope people will enjoy the taste that Ieyasu loved as a little luxury. In the future, I would like to continue cultivating the revived Orido eggplant and spread the word about its appeal to as many people as possible," says Sakurada.

Why not enjoy the good luck of eating the venerable Orido eggplant and think back to the time when Ieyasu lived?