[October's "Edo Okazu" (Edo Side Dishes)]

Simmered Lotus Root in Tosa Style

　Lotus root (renkon) in the Edo period was a representative autumn vegetable that entered its full harvest season (peak season) around October. In Edo's side dish rankings and literature documenting daily life at the time, "simmered lotus root" frequently appears as an everyday meal in row houses from autumn through winter.

　Lotus root is considered to be at its most delicious peak season from October through March. Those harvested around October have moderately lost moisture compared to the new lotus roots of summer, marking a time when stickiness and sweetness begin to emerge within their crisp texture. Because of the holes that allow you to "see through to the end," lotus root has long been valued since the Edo period as a simmered dish for seasonal festivals and celebratory occasions.

　The typical dinner for common people in Edo consisted of "rice, miso soup, and one or two side dishes," and from October onward, simmered dishes made by boiling lotus root, taro, burdock, and the like in soy sauce and starch syrup were served. Although Tosa-ni was originally considered a luxurious dish, in recent years it has become more accessible, and simmered dishes fragrant with bonito flakes are now favored.

Please be sure to come and enjoy it in October as well