Imoni

Imoni is a hearty Japanese meat stew with many regional varieties. It is most commonly consumed in the Tohoku region, where most prefectures have their favorite imoni style and a preferred choice of ingredients. In the Yamagata prefecture, imoni is usually prepared with beef and various vegetables, all doused in a slightly sweet broth made with soy sauce, sake, and sugar. In the neighboring Miyagi prefecture, a crucial element is miso paste, which is added to the soy sauce broth. An entirely different style is employed in the city of Shonai, where the favorite choice of meat is pork, which is paired with miso-based soups. Regardless of the choice of meat and the type of broth, most imoni versions include sweet taro roots and a variety of different vegetables such as konnyaku, Welsh onion, cabbage, or mushrooms. Imoni is a seasonal dish, typically prepared during the colder seasons, and it is culturally significant for many citizens. One of the ancient traditions in Yamagata are the communal festivities where friends and family gather on the river banks and cook imoni in large pots over an open fire. Each September, the city of Yamagata organizes the annual Imoni Festival, where this comforting stew is cooked in an enormous six-meter pot.