Akita Delicacies: Imoni Soup & Kiritampo Rice Sticks

In southern Akita, people gather together during harvest season to enjoy autumnal delicacies such as imoni, a thick, hearty soup made with taro, free-range chicken, shiitake mushrooms and sansai (wild vegetables). Kiritampo is rice that has been pounded, wrapped around a cedar stick and grilled, an invention by hunters and woodcutters to prevent the rice from decaying. Today, locals enjoy kiritanpo hot pots using broth from Hinai free-range chickens.

April 30, 2016