The areas along the Asanogawa River such as Hashiba-cho, Owari-cho, Namiki-machi, Kazue-machi and Higashiyama still preserve today the old atmosphere of Kanazawa.
On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, as a restaurant located in Hashiba-cho, Kinjohro would like to look at the history of the area with the image of a journey up the Asanogawa river while focusing on its own history.
It is said that the form of the traditional Japanese restaurant cuisine of Kanazawa became what it is today around 1890. It was originated to the dishes served in the samurai or merchant households in feudal times. The dishes were often prepared from ingredients obtained from fish dealers or greengrocers who were their regular visitors or ordered from caterers, while ryoriya restaurants were not used very often.
When they were used, it was usually for big banquets so the menu was not very different from dishes used when entertaining at home.
In Kanazawa where the changes of the four seasons were distinct and seasonal foods were abundant, various menus were prepared according to each annual event.
First came the traditional New Year’s dishes. “Zoni rice cake soup,” “Koji oranges, lotus roots, Hanpen minced and steamed fish cakes, egg jelly, cooked walnuts, potatoes wrapped with hijiki seaweed” were served on small plates and supplemented with “Kazunoko herring roe, Bodara dried cod, boiled beans, sea cucumber, konowata cucumber intestine, roasted chestnuts and Kabura-zushi sliced turnip with yellow tail filling pickles.”
For Shinto festivals, five small plate dishes, flounder sashimi, grilled sea bream or flatfish and sea bream clear soup were prepared, and for the Bon festival, cold tofu, spitchcocked weatherfish, cold hiyamugi noodles, Kezuri-Inada dried yellow tail slices were served.
Then for the Hoonko Buddhist memorial service, arrowhead, burdock wrapped in leaves, eggplants cooked with red beans were prepared, and for the ten nights Buddhist memorial service, Hirozu tofu with vegetable cake, red and white arrowroot jelly, roasted sesame seeds and tofu in red bean soup were served on individual low tables.
