"Akazuiki" - Red Herb Stems

Ingredients for local dishes served at bon and autumn festivals.

These red herb stems are especially popular in early autumn. The red stems of taro are familiar as a taste of early fall. They are often boiled after being peeled to be used for vinegar dishes or pickled dishes. Their color is reddish brown, but they turn reddish brown after adding vinegar to them. They contain sugar free pigments which turn reddish after being in contact with vinegar. They can also be used as decoration to add some color to darker dishes. It is also used to add some gluten-like taste to miso soup.