Ingredients (serves 2–3)
2–3 medium eggplants
200 cc water
2 myoga ginger
1/2 fresh ginger
4 aojiso / green shiso leaves
1 green onion
(Add, subtract, or substitute with your favorite yakumi condiments)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp citrus juice
(Ponzu sauce will work fine too)
How to make
1. Have the water and oil ready in a skillet. Remove the stem and cut the eggplants vertically in half, and add to the skillet quickly (to prevent the cut surfaces from turning brown from the lye). Cook over high heat, cover the skillet with a lid, and after about 5 minutes, flip the eggplants over. When the water is reduced, turn the heat off and let sit for 2–3 minutes until cooked through. If a bamboo skewer easily pierces the eggplant, it’s done.
2. Cut each of the yakumi condiments (myoga, shiso leaves, ginger, and green onion) into thin slices. Mix the soy sauce and citrus juice.
3. When the eggplants have cooled slightly, place on the cutting board and cut diagonally into 2–3 cm thick slices. Arrange on a plate, garnish with the yakumi condiments (2), and trickle the citrus seasoned soy sauce.
About a two-hour drive from Kochi City is Muroto City, at the tip of Cape Muroto. The area designated a UNESCO Global Geopark, the area boasts magnificent scenery and is home to the Cape Muroto Lighthouse, which emits the longest light in Japan. That was where I discovered eggplant tataki. Kochi Prefecture is Japan’s number-one producer of eggplant and supplies its produce to be enjoyed in other regions too. One grandpa I met in Kochi said, “As a child, I would go to the field and pick a fresh summer eggplant, rub it between my hands, take a chopstick and poke a hole in it, and drink its water. Eggplant was my natural water bottle.” That is how common the plant is in Kochi.
Eggplant tataki is made by cooking then slicing the eggplant, topping with a generous amount of yakumi condiments, and flavoring with ponzu sauce. The recipe has endless variations. The eggplant can be deep-fried or steamed; and the yakumi condiments can range from myoga and shiso leaves to onion to canned tuna. This time, I braised the eggplant using a small amount of oil so that the finish is lighter than deep-frying but richer than steaming. All of the ingredients—the myoga, the yuzu I used to make the ponzu sauce, and of course the eggplant—are Kochi Prefecture specialties. Eggplant tataki is very delicious, or “Sugoi oishiki!” in the Kochi dialect. The recipe isn’t set in stone. Have fun and feel free to experiment using your favorite yakumi condiments on hand.
minokamo | Cookery expert / Photographer
Gifu Prefecture native minokamo’s culinary adventures were inspired by her fond childhood memories of cooking with her grandmother. She researches, writes about, and arranges regional dishes that capture, through their preparation and presentation, sensory enjoyments inspired by local climate, history, and lifestyles. Ryori tabi kara tadaima(Back from a Cooking Journey; Fudosha), published in September 2020, is a collection of recipes from minokamo’s visits to homes up and down Japan.
