Kinpira is a Japanese cooking method that involves sautéing and simmering, commonly used for root vegetables and other ingredients. Kinpira gobo, made with burdock root and carrots, is a popular dish. Kinpira-style foods are important in macrobiotic cooking and are believed to have health benefits. The term “kinpira” comes from an ancient legend of a boy with superhuman strength and endurance.
Kinpira is a Japanese cooking method that includes both sautéing and simmering. This technique is often used to cook root vegetables, but it can also be used to cook a variety of other ingredients. To prepare a classic kinpira dish, thinly sliced vegetables or other ingredients are first sautéed in an oiled pan, then water is added to the pan and brought to a simmer. The pan is then covered, and the ingredients are allowed to continue simmering until almost gone. In the last few minutes of the cooking process, soy sauce, mirin and chiles can be added to flavor the boiling broth, and the excess liquid can be simmered until it has completely evaporated.
The most common kinpira recipe is kinpira gobo, a dish of burdock root and matchstick carrots, sauteed in sesame oil, simmered, and seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, and dried chillies. Other types of kinpira recipes might include root vegetables such as lotus root, yams, yams, parsnips, and turnips. Other ingredients that can be added to kinpira dishes include meats, tofu, wheat gluten, various types of seaweed, and miso paste. Kinpira vegetables are easy to prepare and keep for several hours without refrigeration, making them a popular component of Japanese bento boxes. Kinpira vegetables can also be combined with short grain rice and used as a filling for sushi rolls called kinpira makizushi.
Kinpira-style foods are an important component of macrobiotic cooking. Kinpira gobo is particularly favored for its yang qualities and is believed to help purify the blood, build strength and increase stamina. It is rich in vitamins A, B6, B9, C and K and is rich in minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, potassium and copper.
Contrary to common assumptions, the term “kinpira” does not literally translate to “sauté and simmer”. The word is made up of kin, the Japanese character for gold or metal, and hira, the Japanese character for flat or even, which is pronounced “pira” when combined with another word. The names of many Japanese foods are associated with legends and folk tales. Kinpira refers to the ancient legend of a boy of the same name, son of the famous sumo wrestler Kintaro, both immortalized by Japanese jyoururi theater performances of the Edo era. Kinpira was known for his superhuman strength and endurance and his reputation for fighting evil.
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