It's getting colder in Japan, and we’ve started having special dishes to keep us warm. Today, I'd like to introduce a local dish called hōtō .

I first knew this dish as I lived in Nagano Prefecture due to my husband's job. Hōtō is a local dish of Yamanashi Prefecture, which is next to Nagano. In the winter, my husband, our daughter, and I often traveled to Yamanashi to enjoy it. Since I was born and raised in the Kansai region, I'd never tried it before. Winters in Nagano were quite harsh, and to be honest, I found it difficult to enjoy living there. Every winter, I missed my hometown. Even so, I tried to enjoy the life there. Going to Yamanashi to have hōtō was one of my favorite activities in winter. There was our favorite restaurant, and even though we had to wait in a long line, we often visited. Since then, having hōtō in winter has been a family tradition.

Now, we live far from Yamanashi, so I make it on my own.

Basically, we can use any vegetables, mushrooms, meats as ingredients, but pumpkin is a must.

In the picture below, you see the white noodles, which is the key part of this dish. I order them online.

To make it, I simmer a mix of vegetables and meats in a fish and seaweed based broth.

I then add my homemade miso to the pot.

Once the vegetables have soften, I add the white noodles.

I let everything cook until it’s tender.

Then, it’s ready to serve—just dig in and enjoy!

Hōtō is my favorite winter food because it definitely keeps us warm and cozy. Although I'd had to move to lots of different prefectures due to my husband's job, I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience so many different cultures. It's absolutely expanded my horizon.

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