Hiyajiru Chilled Soup Over Rice

Miso is toasted fragrant in a grinding bowl, combined with flaked fish and stock, and chilled. It is then poured over piping hot barley rice, garnished with cucumber and aromatics, and eaten in swift mouthfuls. A summer local dish rooted in the plains of Miyazaki, it keeps chopsticks moving even when the heat dulls the appetite.

Highlights

Its origin is ancient, said to begin with farmers who placed raw miso on barley rice and poured water over it in the hot summer. Even a document from the Kamakura period holds a description evoking chilled soup, and among the versions spread across the land by monks, the Miyazaki hiyajiru is considered closest to the original form. The key to the recipe is grilled miso. Ground white sesame, miso, and grilled flaked horse mackerel or dried sardine are spread on the inside of a grinding bowl and the surface is seared to raise the aroma. This single step yields a deep flavor that never feels lacking even served cold.

Enjoying the Seasons

Hiyajiru is above all a summer dish. In the height of summer when sweat and heat dull the appetite, the cold soup and chilled barley rice bring instant relief. Add sliced cucumber, perilla leaf, myoga, and tofu for rich color and texture. Chilling the soup well in the refrigerator is the secret to its deliciousness. In recent years, easy recipes using canned fish and blended miso have also spread.

Access and Basic Information

Many local restaurants and set meal shops in Miyazaki City list it on the menu, mainly in summer. Supermarkets in the prefecture carry blended miso and hiyajiru bases for home use, and quite a few travelers take them home as souvenirs.

A Quick Tip

If it is your first time, pour it generously over the barley rice and eat in swift mouthfuls. The body of the miso, the aroma of sesame, and the savor of the fish blend into one, letting you taste the Miyazaki summer itself.