Kasu-jiru is a traditional soup from Yamagata Prefecture made with sake lees, the flavorful byproduct left after pressing fermented Japanese sake. Yamagata is known as a sake-producing region, and the high-quality sake lees produced by local breweries give this hearty soup its rich aroma and depth of flavor.
Traditionally enjoyed during the cold winter months, Yamagata-style kasu-jiru is a comforting dish that warms the body from within. The fragrant character of sake lees blends with the savory flavors of the ingredients, making it a familiar part of winter home cooking in Yamagata.
Typical ingredients in Yamagata’s kasu-jiru include daikon radish cut into thin half-moon slices, locally prepared uchimame, and salted salmon. The ingredients are simmered together with sake lees, allowing their individual flavors to meld into a rich and satisfying broth.
The gentle sweetness of daikon combines with the pleasant saltiness and umami of salted salmon, while the fragrant sake lees envelops the entire dish. With plenty of substantial ingredients, kasu-jiru is an especially satisfying soup for cold winter days.
Uchimame is another ingredient that reflects Yamagata’s distinctive food culture. To make uchimame, soybeans are softened, flattened by pounding, and then dried.
Because the flattened soybeans readily absorb the flavors of the broth, they develop a soft, hearty texture when simmered. Their rich soybean flavor also complements the sake lees and salted salmon, adding another layer of depth to the soup.
One of the defining characteristics of Yamagata kasu-jiru is the combination of the fragrant aroma of sake lees and the savory umami of salted salmon. The distinctive flavor of the sake lees spreads throughout the broth, while the salmon adds richness and depth.
As you take a sip of the hot soup, the aroma of sake lees gently rises, accompanied by the textures of daikon and uchimame. Together, these ingredients create a nourishing and deeply comforting taste that evokes the winter landscape of Yamagata.
Kasu-jiru has also been associated with a traditional wish for good fortune and prosperity. One wordplay-based interpretation connects “kasu,” meaning sake lees, with the expression “kasu,” meaning to avoid borrowing and to prosper or succeed on one’s own.
Enjoying this traditional sake-lees dish therefore offers more than a taste of local cuisine. It also provides an opportunity to discover the way traditional food in Yamagata has been connected with hopes and wishes for everyday life.
Yamagata kasu-jiru is a traditional winter dish that brings together the sake-making culture of the region with familiar local ingredients. Sake lees combine with daikon, uchimame, and salted salmon to create a warming soup with a rich aroma, savory depth, and satisfying texture.
If you visit Yamagata during the colder months, try a bowl of warm kasu-jiru and experience a taste of the region’s sake culture and traditional home cooking.