Have you heard of Akita's field caviar [Odate tonburi]?

  • Akita
  • Eating

What is tonburi?

Tomburi is a food made by heating the mature fruits of the annual herb broomrape. As the name suggests, broomstick is a grass used to make brooms. Its fruits are small green grains with a diameter of 1 to 2 mm, and are also called "caviar of the field" because of their pleasantly crunchy texture.

Produced only in Odate City

Many rice farmers in Akita Prefecture, a major rice-producing region, are said to have started producing tonburi to make up for the loss of income in the winter when rice cannot be grown. Although tongburi was cultivated throughout Japan, the number of tongburi gradually declined, and now it is only grown in Odate City, Akita Prefecture. Therefore, all tonburi on the market today are produced in Odate City.

Expected to be registered as a national intangible folk cultural asset

Such tonburi is now registered as a national intangible folk cultural asset as "Odate's tonburi production technique. If registered together with "Tsuruga's oboro kelp manufacturing technique" in Fukui Prefecture, this will be the eighth case in Japan. The official registration will take place around March of this year, and Akita Prefecture is the first prefecture to register. We hope that this registration will help draw more attention to tonburi!
Harvesting tonburi

Small but excellent!

Actually, tonburi is a highly nutritious food. It contains vitamin E and saponin, both of which are antioxidants, and iron, which helps prevent anemia! Why don't you try to include it in your diet?

Various ways to eat it

Tonburi has no peculiar taste, so it can be easily combined with any dishes. Mixing tonburi with long potatoes and okra makes it a dish with a nice crunchy texture. You can also take advantage of its light flavor by mixing it with mayonnaise to make a pasta-like dish with cod roe. It is also recommended as a topping for carpaccio or chirashi-sushi as an accent to the texture. It is also available at restaurants in Akita Prefecture, so be sure to try it when you travel to Akita.

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