Missing homemade kiritanpo

Today, and November 11th annually, is "Kiritanpo Day". Kiritanpo is a traditional Japanese dish from Akita Prefecture made from pounded, cooked rice formed into cylinders around a skewer and typically grilled over charcoal. However, it is not the only way to eat it. My mother-in-law is from Akita and so we eat a lot more Kiritanpo than other people in Saitama Prefecture.

Some of it is store bought, sent from her family in Akita, some of it is homemade. My mother in law sometimes makes kirintanpo hot pot. Some people put kiritanpo with skewers in the hot pot, but we often have it without skewers. It is a taste of Akita, where they get a tough winter with lots of snow, and this local dish warms the mind and body on a cold winter's night!

Kiritanpo day was established by the Kazuno Kiritanpo Club in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, the birthplace of kiritanpo. The date was chosen because the way kiritanpo are roasted over an open hearth resembles the number 1111. The aim is to revitalize the town using kiritanpo as a selling point. Have you ever eaten kiritanpo?