Kandara-jiru is a traditional winter dish that represents the food culture of the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture. It is made with mature Pacific cod caught during the winter spawning season in the rough waters of the Sea of Japan. Rather than using only the fillets, the dish makes use of almost the entire fish, including the liver, bones and other parts, and milt.
Large cod can weigh as much as 7 to 10 kg, providing an abundance of rich flavor. Kandara-jiru has long been enjoyed as a hearty local specialty that warms the body during the cold Shonai winter.
The dish is also known as “tara-jiru,” “kandara-jiru,” or “dongara-jiru.” While tara-jiru can be enjoyed throughout the year, Kandara-jiru specifically refers to soup made with Pacific cod at its winter peak, making it one of Shonai’s most cherished seasonal dishes.
In the Shonai region, Pacific cod caught from the beginning of the coldest part of winter through around Risshun, the traditional first day of spring, is called “kandara,” or winter cod. Its main season is generally from December through February, with the period from around mid-January until Risshun considered an especially flavorful time.
One of the best-known dishes of this season is dongara-jiru. Almost every edible part of the winter cod is used. The liver and bones are simmered first to extract their rich flavor, while the milt is added toward the end of cooking.
The basic preparation begins by simmering the winter cod’s liver and bones in a pot of broth seasoned with miso. As the ingredients cook, their natural umami gradually dissolves into the soup. The pieces of cod meat are then added, followed by milt toward the end.
The seasoning itself is relatively simple, with miso providing the main flavor. However, the liver and milt release an extraordinary amount of natural richness, creating a deeply satisfying soup without the need for elaborate stock. One of the dish’s greatest attractions is the opportunity to savor the natural sweetness and umami of the cod itself.
One of the highlights of Kandara-jiru is the generous portion of milt found inside male Pacific cod during the winter season. Milt has a soft, fluffy texture that becomes wonderfully creamy and melts gently in the mouth.
When made with fresh winter cod, the milt has little of the unpleasant fishiness associated with less-fresh seafood. The simple miso-based broth further enhances its delicate flavor, creating a distinctive combination of creamy texture and rich umami.
Dongara-jiru reflects a traditional Shonai food culture that emphasizes making use of as much of the fish as possible.
In the past, fishermen would sell the fish after cutting it into marketable portions, while the remaining bones and other parts were used to make soup for their own meals. This practical way of preparing fish gradually spread throughout the region and eventually became part of everyday home cooking.
The delicious flavor produced by simmering fish bones and other leftover portions came to be widely appreciated. Today, dongara-jiru is firmly established as one of Shonai’s traditional local dishes, preserving the wisdom of making full use of freshly caught fish.
Another important attraction of winter cod is the abundance of milt during the spawning season. Milt comes from male Pacific cod. In the past, female cod carrying roe were often considered more valuable, and the milt of male fish was not appreciated to the same extent as it is today.
In recent years, however, milt has gained wider recognition for its rich flavor and distinctive creamy texture. Because it is at its best during the winter cod season, it is considered one of the special delicacies of the cold season.
The freshness of the cod is one of the most important factors in making delicious dongara-jiru. Because the flavor and quality of cod can change significantly depending on freshness, cooks take particular care when handling fish immediately after it is landed.
Chefs carefully simmer the liver, bones, and other parts in water while skimming away impurities and gradually drawing out their natural umami. The fillets may also be prepared separately in other dishes, allowing each part of the fish to be enjoyed according to its particular qualities.
Fresh cod landed at nearby fishing ports can often be identified by characteristics such as bright red gills, dark glossy skin, a moist surface, and a firm tail. These are useful general indicators when selecting fresh fish.
In Shonai, the flavor of winter cod is brought out through the combined skills of fishermen who handle their catch carefully and cooks who carefully assess the condition of the fish before preparing it.
Another characteristic of Shonai cuisine is the way cooking methods can vary from one community to another even when using the same ingredients. In some versions of Tsuruoka’s dongara-jiru, for example, the soup is prepared with miso as the main seasoning without adding sake lees.
Rather than masking the flavor with elaborate seasonings, cooks adjust the preparation according to the condition of the fish and make the most of the natural umami from the winter cod’s liver, milt, bones, and meat. It is a simple dish, yet one that clearly showcases both the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the cook.
For a more authentic taste of Shonai-style Kandara-jiru, rock seaweed is an essential topping. This traditional local way of serving the soup adds a gentle aroma of the sea.
The rich flavor of winter cod and the savory taste of miso are complemented by the subtle marine fragrance of the rock seaweed, creating a bowl that evokes the winter Sea of Japan. The seaweed also adds an attractive finishing touch to the dish.
Tsuruoka is known for its abundant natural resources and rich food culture, including many traditional dishes passed down through generations. Surrounded by both mountains and the sea, the region has developed a distinctive cuisine based on fresh seafood and locally grown agricultural products.
Sakamotoya, a traditional culinary inn in the Sanze district of Tsuruoka, is said to have been established during the Kyoho era (1716–1736). Historical records also indicate that Sakai Tadauchi, lord of the Shonai Domain, once stopped there for lunch.
The inn’s ninth-generation head is known as an “O-sakana Kataribe,” a storyteller and promoter of local fish culture, as well as a “Shonai-hama Culture Densho-shi Meister,” a recognized specialist in passing on the culinary traditions of the Shonai coast.
Sakamotoya also serves Umisaka Zen, a seasonal meal inspired by dishes appearing in historical novels by local author Shuhei Fujisawa.
The contents of Umisaka Zen change with the seasons. In winter, the meal features seasonal ingredients from the Shonai region, including dishes made with winter cod.
Among them is dongara-jiru, which makes full use of the winter cod and allows diners to experience one of the region’s most distinctive traditional preparations.
By incorporating local ingredients and seasonal flavors, the meal offers visitors an opportunity to experience Shonai’s food culture through the changing seasons.
Kandara-jiru is a traditional Shonai dish that makes full use of Pacific cod at its winter peak, bringing together the rich flavors of the liver, bones, milt, and meat in a simple miso-based soup.
The period from mid-January until Risshun is especially prized, when winter cod is at its seasonal peak and the fish contains plenty of creamy milt. The soft texture of the milt, the deep richness of the broth, and the subtle aroma of rock seaweed create a flavor that captures the essence of winter in Shonai.
If you visit Shonai during the colder months, be sure to seek out authentic dongara-jiru made with fresh winter cod. It is not only a delicious seasonal specialty but also a chance to experience the traditional Shonai philosophy of respecting and making full use of the bounty of the sea.