Tokinokura's Restaurant

Founded in 1596, Tororo Soup Clove Shop is so historic that it was even depicted in Hiroshige Utagawa's ukiyo-e print, Mariko, XNUMX Stations of the Tokaido. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi was raising an army to conquer Odawara Castle, the clove shop operated as a tea shop, and began serving yam soup to travelers during the season when yam was harvested. It is said that the store was very crowded with people trying to energize themselves with yam soup in order to cross the difficult Utsuya Pass.

Mr. Heikichi is the 14th generation of the historic "Tororo Soup Clove Shop." Wild yam from Shizuoka Prefecture is combined with eggs, tuna broth, and soy sauce, then topped with bonito flakes and homemade white miso. Pour the finished grated yam soup over barley rice. Although it is simple, it has a deep flavor that permeates through your body.

We have contracted with 20 producers in Shizuoka Prefecture to use native varieties of yam from Shizuoka. It took 40 to 50 years for the store and farmers to work together to establish a cultivation method. Mr. Heikichi is working hard to popularize Japanese yam grown in Shizuoka Prefecture. In fact, the seasoning of yam soup differs depending on the region, even within Shizuoka Prefecture. ``Tororo Soup Clove Shop'' uses bonito flakes and homemade miso, but Yaizu uses mackerel and miso, Kosai uses boiled mullet, its flesh, stock, and soy sauce, Nishiizu and Shimoda uses spiny lobster, and Matsuzaki uses saury and miso. various. In February 2023, we will be collaborating with university students, yam restaurants, and wild yam producers in the prefecture to hold a workshop to spread the word that the way of eating wild yam differs depending on the area.

Since the shop is visited by tourists from all over the country, people often ask, ``Why do we have Japanese yam in Shizuoka?'' He sometimes speaks directly to customers, and in order to reach more people, he uses a monitor inside the building to explain about wild yam and how to grow it.

``In the past, white rice was valuable, and wild yams were useful for getting sugar.Shizuoka has mountains and the sea, and is a rich natural environment.My goal is to turn Shizuoka into ``Tororo Prefecture.'' ” he says.

Scenes from the yam soup workshop held in February 2023

*From the article “Introducing the 2020 Fujinokuni Food Capital Creation Worker Award Winners”