祖谷のたべもの

過酷な自然環境を活かした農業

Agriculture that takes advantage of the harsh natural environment

祖谷では古くから、平地が少なく急峻な崖地が多いという過酷な自然環境を活かした農業が営まれてきました。「活かした」というよりも、この地で人々が生きていく為にはそうせざるを得なかったというのが正しいのかもしれません。

急峻な地形は水はけがよく、農作物の成長に必要な養分が流れ出てしまいます。気候も山地特有の厳しさがあります。ずっと昔から祖谷の人々は、そんな厳しい環境の中で石垣を積み上げて民家を建て、その間を縫うように小さな畑をつくり、それを代々守りぬいてきたのです。

その畑からは、個性が強く、それでいて素朴な味わいのたべものがうまれます。

In spite of the harsh natural environment, which means lots of slopes instead of flatlands, in Iya Valley, agriculture has been prosperous since long ago.
To tell the truth, the people had to rely on it for being alive, rather than to make something.
On precipitous lands, essential nutrients for plant growth are washed away because of well-drained soil. The climate is also specific harsh in Iya.
The people in Iya have built houses with stone wall and established little fields through them. And also, they have maintained their lives for generations in spite of under harsh natural environment. As a result, they have produced strong, but simple taste crops in the field.

ごうしいも

ごうしいもは、祖谷の過酷な自然環境から生まれた小さなじゃがいもです。身がしっかりしているため調理しても身崩れしにくく、味は濃厚です。
米が取れなかった祖谷の人々にとって、保存もきくごうしいもは、主食といってもいいほど、年間を通して多くの料理で使われます。大きな種類のじゃがいもが簡単に手に入る現在でも、祖谷の人々はこのいもを大切に受け継いでいます。
特にひらら（平たい岩）の上に味噌で土手を作り、ごうしいも、あめご、豆腐、季節の野菜などをのせて焼く「ひららやき」は、とても豪快な祖谷の郷土料理です。

Goshiimo(Potato)

"Goshiimo" is something like a small potato which has been produced in the harsh natural environment in Iya. It is easy to cook and has a rich taste, because it is more likely to keep its shape even if Goshiimo is cooked by long-time heating.
For the people in Iya with lack of rice, "Goshiimo" is almost staple food and cooked in various dishes through the year instead.
It is true that they can get big potato easily, but they follow ancient people footsteps deeply.
Especially, "Hirarayaki, which grills "Goshiimo", fish, tofu, and seasonal vegetables with bean paste (miso) on a flat rock, is one of the dynamic local dishes in Iya.

そば

祖谷の環境は、田んぼを作るのには不向きでしたが、その代わりにそば栽培に適していました。甘みが強く香り高い良質のそばが実り、そばは祖谷の代表的な農産物になりました。
祖谷のそばは、一本一本が太くて短いのが特徴です。これは、そばを打つ際に小麦粉などの“つなぎ”をほとんど使わず、切れやすいためです。
祖谷では、麺にして食べるだけではなく、そば米を雑炊にしたり、そば粉を練って食べたり（そばがき）、汁物に混ぜたり（そばすべし）して食べるのも一般的です。

Soba

The environment of Iya fits to grow "soba" field, not rice field. The "soba", which is high quality with fragrant and sweet taste, has been one of the representative agricultural products in Iya.
The features of soba are thick and short each. That is the reason why the people in Iya rarely use extra flour when they make soba.
They usually eat it not only as hot noodles, but also as soupy rice. In addition, they also eat as a "sobagakiu", which is mixed up with boiled water, and "sobasubeshi", which is also poured into soup. They are quite popular in Iya area.

お茶

朝深く霧が立ちこめ、日照時間が少ない祖谷の渓谷はお茶の栽培に理想的な環境です。祖谷の中でも、特に山深い落合集落のある東祖谷で飲まれるお茶は、薄茶色に濁った深みのある番茶です。

東祖谷の番茶は、ほとんどが自給自足のために作られるのみで、地域外にはほとんど出まわっていません。

Tea

Iya Valley is an ideal circumstance to grow tea, because it is very foggy morning and receives less sunlight than other areas.
Especially, the tea which is drunk in East Iya of Ochiai hamlet is considered coarse green tea with cloudy pale brown color. This coarse green tea is seldom sold in other areas except in Iya area because of self-sufficient.

豆腐

山深い地域であることは、農作物だけではなく、食材の作り方を変えることもありました。祖谷の豆腐がとても固く作られ、「岩豆腐」と呼ばれるのは、山道を登り下りするその運搬の過程で簡単に崩れることがないようにとの知恵からでした。
この固く崩れにくい岩豆腐と、小さなごうしいも、こんにゃくを竹串に刺し、味噌を塗って囲炉裏で火にかけて食べる「でこまわし」は、祖谷の最も特徴的な料理です。囲炉裏端に座りながら、くるくる回しながら焼く様子が「でこ（人形）」に似ていることからそう名付けられたそうです。

Tofu

Iya area is very mountainous region. As a result, people have been forced, not only to change how to grow crops, but also to improve the method of food preparation.
For example, a tofu, which is called "Iwadofu" in Iya area, is very tough.
They have made it with using the wisdom of ancient people so that it does not lose its shape easily in the transfer process on the mountain road.

"Dekomawashi" is one of the most characteristic dishes in Iya. To prepare it, thread tough "Iwadofu", small "Goshiimo" and "Konnyaku" (devil's tongue) onto skewers with spreading "Miso" around, and then grill round and round by sitting at irori (irori fireplace). It is named after "Deko doll" (which is a carved wooden marionette.)