Tokyo has recently cooled down to autumn, but at the end of August, when it was still hot and humid, I (the writer) flew to Mutsu City on the Shimokita Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, located at the northernmost tip of Honshu, to seek cooler weather. Incidentally, Mutsu City is also the hometown of Kenichi Matsuyama.

There, I encountered a dish that was so delicious that I was instantly captivated by it. It is " Misoka-yaki," a local delicacy that has been handed down from generation to generation in the Shimokita Peninsula.


Originally, fishermen in Mutsu Bay used scallops as a pot, mixed them with soup stock and fish fillets, dissolved them in miso, and ate them with millet or millet rice. Because it can be made with ingredients left over in the refrigerator, it is often referred to as a "lazy dish.


Put scallops in a pot of water and heat the broth from grilled dried scallops. When it comes to a boil, freely add scallops and other seasonal ingredients, and dissolve in miso. When it comes to a boil, pour in the egg and stir it all together to blend and it is ready to serve.


The rich aroma of the sweet and spicy miso soup is infused with the flavor extracted from the scallops. The thick, half-boiled egg adds a mildness to the soup. This soup alone is enough to fill three bowls of rice!

The plump scallops are firm and tight, but when you bite into them, the fibers melt away. The softness and fragility of the scallop will entice you to take another bite.


It is a very simple dish, but it tastes so good that I don't know what it is. Even if you exclude the fact that it is made with the traveler's mind as a secret ingredient, it is so delicious that you should definitely try it when you go to Mutsu City.

Local sweets include "fried balls" and "nommu yogurt

According to local people, other famous local sweets in Mutsu City include "Fry Balls," deep-fried doughnuts sold at the Yanagiya confectionery, and "Nommu Yogurt," made with freshly squeezed milk at the Bon Serve milk factory.



Why Mutsu City is so energetic

In Mutsu City, a community called "Discovery Mutsu Project" is being run by young people in their 20s and 30s to further enliven the local community. They have organized events such as a "firefly-watching party" and an "adult athletic meet." In June of this year, they held an event to deliver "Hikari no Ageha" to former Mutsu City Mayor Junichiro Miyashita, who passed away in late May, as a token of their gratitude.

On the day of the event, about 500 citizens gathered at the Kamagariyama ski resort and brought flashlights, cell phones, and other lights of their own accord to create "swallowtail butterflies.


The town seemed to come alive, perhaps because of the positive atmosphere of both elders and young people working together to revitalize the local community and city government.

Although "Hikari no Ageha" was created by human hands, there is an observatory in Mutsu City where you can see a night view that is really shaped like a swallowtail butterfly. After a delicious meal, it might be a good idea to drive a little further and enjoy the night view that can only be seen here instead of dessert.