Nameko

Nameko

What it is

The name is a worn-down numerikko, from numeri, slime, and kinoko, mushroom — nothing in it is metaphor. Log cultivation began in Tōhoku in 1921, and almost every nameko sold today descends from a single wild strain collected in Fukushima.

In the kitchen

Never rinse it — the gel on the cap is the thickener you are buying, and water strips it. Slide it into the dashi for two minutes, then take the pot off the heat before whisking in the miso.

Goes with

Miso Kombu Silken tofu (kinugoshi) Negi Katsuobushi (dried bonito) Daikon Mitsuba

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