Hiyajiru (Cold Fish and Miso Soup over Barley Rice)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Ingredients
- 11
About this dish
Hiyajiru is a Miyazaki summer meal made by grinding toasted dried sardines, sesame, peanuts, and miso, browning the paste until fragrant, loosening it with cold stock, and adding tofu, cucumber, shiso, myoga, and ginger.
Read more
The concentrated soup is chilled thoroughly and poured over freshly cooked hot barley rice for a sharp temperature contrast. It is said to have developed from farmers' quick hot-weather meal of raw miso and water over barley rice. Celebratory versions use grilled sea bream or horse mackerel with every bone removed, while everyday bowls often rely on toasted iriko dried sardines. Nutty richness and fish savor support the cool broth, and crisp cucumber with aromatic herbs keeps the rice refreshing in Miyazaki's humid heat.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Control
Remove heads and innards from the iriko, split larger ones, and check for hard bones.
Toast the iriko, sesame, and peanuts separately in a dry pan over low heat, then cool completely.
- 2Prep
Grind the toasted sesame and peanuts finely in a mortar, add the iriko, and pound until almost no pieces remain.
Add the miso and mix into a uniform paste.
- 3Finish
Spread the miso paste 5 mm thick on a heatproof plate and broil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove when spotted brown and deeply fragrant, then cool completely.
- 4Control
Whisk cold bonito stock gradually into the roasted paste, making a chilled broth stronger than ordinary miso soup.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- 5Prep
Slice the cucumber into thin half-moons, shred the shiso and myoga, and mince the ginger.
Tear the tofu gently into 2 cm pieces with clean hands.
- 6Step
Just before serving, add the tofu, cucumber, shiso, myoga, and ginger to the cold broth and stir only once or twice.
Put hot barley rice in six bowls and let each diner pour over the chilled hiyajiru.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Toasted iriko, sesame, and peanuts are ground finely with miso.
- Finish cue
- Just before serving, add the tofu, cucumber, shiso, myoga, and ginger to the cold broth and stir only once or twice.
- Avoid this
- Pour over rice only at serving to avoid contaminating the remaining broth.
- Storage and reheating
- Toast the iriko, sesame, and peanuts separately in a dry pan over low heat, then cool completely.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 11 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 242 recipes
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