Grandma's Recipes 
福島県 
* Photo is for reference 宮城県 🌸 Spring
Japanese Grandma's Simmered Butterbur with Chicken (Fuki no Nimono)
Fuki (Japanese butterbur) is one of the few vegetables native to Japan, and its arrival signals the start of spring. This simmered dish from Miyagi in the Tohoku region pairs the slightly bitter, aromatic butterbur with tender chicken thigh and fried tofu skin in a savory bonito dashi broth.
🧂 Ingredients
servings
* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.
| Main Ingredients | |
| Fuki (Japanese butterbur stalks) | 1束 (approx. 300〜400g) |
| Chicken thigh | 200g (Sear the surface, then cut into bite-sized pieces) |
| Aburaage (fried tofu skin) | 1枚 (approx. 30g) (Cut into short strips) |
| Simmering Broth | |
| Bonito dashi stock | 300cc |
| Sake (cooking rice wine) | 大さじ3 |
| Mirin (sweet rice wine) | 大さじ3 |
| Soy sauce | 大さじ3 |
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the butterbur: rub with salt on a cutting board, blanch, cool in cold water, peel, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
💡 Rolling the stalks in salt on a cutting board makes peeling much easier
- 2
Cut the fried tofu skin (aburaage) into short strips.
- 3
Sear the chicken thigh on the surface, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
💡 Searing first seals in the umami flavor
- 4
Combine the bonito dashi, sake, mirin, and soy sauce in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and fried tofu skin.
- 5
Once the chicken is cooked through, add the butterbur and simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
- 6
Let it cool and rest to allow the flavors to soak in.
💡 Leaving it overnight lets the flavors meld even more deeply
📖 Memories & Stories
At grandma's house, butterbur grew alongside bamboo shoots, myoga ginger, and wild angelica sprouts. Whenever I visited, she would cook them for me. I make this dish myself now, but I can never quite match grandma's flavor.
Source: Heard from family (parents, siblings, etc.) (Submitted by: ケイ)
🍽 Cultural Background
Fuki (butterbur) is one of the few vegetables native to Japan, growing wild from Hokkaido to Kyushu. In the Tohoku region including Miyagi Prefecture, spring brings a burst of wild mountain vegetables - butterbur, bamboo shoots, and angelica sprouts all emerge at once. Dishes made from these foraged ingredients are considered a beloved herald of spring on the Japanese table.
