Shingoro (Grilled Rice Skewers with Egoma Miso)

Quick answer

Total time: 60 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Shingoro is a grilled rice skewer eaten in Shimogo and Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture.

Freshly cooked white rice is pounded only about halfway, leaving both visible grains and enough stickiness to hold together. It is formed into egg-size portions and attached to sixteen skewers. Egoma, or perilla seed, is called junen in Fukushima. The seeds are dry-roasted over low heat while the pan is shaken, and the heat is stopped as soon as five or six seeds begin to pop. They are ground thoroughly and mixed with sugar, miso, and sake to make junen miso. Both sides of each rice skewer are grilled first until browned. Only then is the thick seed and miso paste spread over the surface, and the skewers return to the heat until the sauce develops light char marks. The dish is eaten year-round and is often served to celebrate the new rice harvest.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
white rice	4	cup
egoma perilla seeds	1	cup
sugar	1	cup
miso	0.5	cup
sake	3	tbsp
skewers	16	piece

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Heat

Rinse the white rice and cook it with the usual amount of water.

As soon as it is done, transfer the hot rice to a wide mortar or bowl.
2

Control

Put the egoma seeds in a dry pan and toast over low heat while shaking continuously.

The moment five or six seeds begin to pop, turn off the heat and remove the seeds from the pan to stop further cooking.
3

Step

Pound the hot rice with a pestle only about halfway.

When some grains remain but the rice holds together, divide it into sixteen egg-size portions and press each portion firmly around a skewer.
4

Season

Grind the toasted egoma thoroughly in a mortar until fine and slightly oily.

Add the sugar, miso, and sake, then mix into a thick, uniform junen miso.
5

Season

Grill both sides of the rice skewers first until evenly browned.

Spread junen miso over every surface, return the skewers to the heat, and remove them when the paste has light char marks but before its sugar burns black.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Rice is pounded only halfway to retain grains and enough adhesion for the skewer.
Finish cue: As soon as it is done, transfer the hot rice to a wide mortar or bowl.
Avoid this: Toast the egoma over low heat while shaking the pan and stop as soon as five or six seeds pop so the seeds do not overcook and turn bitter.