“Amaguri King deciding match! ” ~With easy recipes using sweet chestnuts~

It's already starting to feel like summer. How is everyone doing.
The seasons change really quickly, and just when I thought the year had ended, it was already just before summer.
When summer ends, autumn will come...
So it feels like autumn already.
 
"When I think of autumn, I think of chestnuts."
 
I was walking around Yokohama Chinatown while forcing myself to say something like that.
There are actually many shops selling sweet chestnuts in Chinatown.

"It's almost autumn and I want to eat delicious sweet chestnuts. But where should I buy them? It's almost autumn."

That one question became the impetus for this major project.

"Well then, let's decide on the No. 1 sweet chestnut! Autumn is almost here!"

yes. For this project, we independently investigated the No. 1 sweet chestnut that everyone is familiar with.
A new attempt at research, a first in the industry (based on personal research)!
 
Yokohama Chinatown Development Association Cooperative Project “Amaguri King Selection!” ” Comes with an easy recipe using sweet chestnuts ! !
 
Don't worry about it and think of it as ``sweet chestnuts.''
Please take a look at this eye-opening project!

First, let's buy some delicious sweet chestnuts! What should I do?

First, you have to buy sweet chestnuts, and there are many sweet chestnut sales points in Yokohama Chinatown.
It's a bit of a waste to buy and eat all those chestnuts...no. Since it was time-consuming, I decided to look into Amakuri in Yokohama Chinatown.
As I learned there, there is actually a store that sells sweet chestnuts in Yokohama Chinatown that is certified by Chinatown as an ``excellent recommended store.''
 
・Heichin Daiamakuri Yokohama Chinatown Higashimon store
・Heichin Daiamakuri Yokohama Chinatown Main Store
・Heichin Daiamakuri Heichinro Yokohama main store shop
・Heichin Daiamakuri Heichin Saryo Branch
・Jogenro large sweet chestnuts
・Yokohama Hotel Large Sweet Chestnuts
・China Trading Corporation Chinatown Main Branch
 
As of 2014, there are 7 stores!
By the way, only stores that meet the following criteria are certified as excellent stores.
 
●The vendor and contact information are clearly written on the bag.
●The number of grams of sweet chestnuts in the bag is indicated. There is a scale in the store.
●We use gloves when handling chestnuts and pay close attention to hygiene management.
●The store name is posted at the sales booth.
 
This is really helpful information for those who buy sweet chestnuts.
First of all, the trivia is that you can't go wrong if you buy sweet chestnuts from this store.
 
“I can do this!”
 
For this final round, we asked the seven stores mentioned above to help us by purchasing chestnuts and comparing the flavors.
First, let's introduce the store!
 
▽Check here for detailed location of each store!
http://www.chinatown.or.jp/fact/column/amaguri
 
 
1st store: Heichin Daiamakuri Yokohama Chinatown main store
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/heichinrou/c/0000000235/

 
``Heichin Dai Amaguri'' is served by Heichinro, a long-established Chinese restaurant with a 130-year history in Yokohama Chinatown.
Some of you may have noticed that out of the 7 excellent stores mentioned above, 4 of them are all Heichin Daiamakuri.
Everything from the purchasing and sorting of chestnuts is managed in-house, and the thoroughness with which the chestnuts are sorted again by the hands of craftsmen is truly a long-established store.
We also offer a sealed packaging service to enable shipping to distant locations, and the fact that all four of our stores are of excellent quality is no secret.
Since all of the other stores are from the same chain, we will introduce them to you in the photos below!
 

Photo left: Heichin Daiamakuri Yokohama Chinatown Higashimon store / Photo right: Heichin Daiamakuri Heichinro Yokohama main store shop
 

Photo left: Heichin Daiamakuri Heichin Saryo Branch / Photo right: This is the proof of the rumored quality! It is always displayed at good stores.
 
 
2nd store: Jogenro large sweet chestnuts
http://www.jogen.co.jp/jgr_yokohama/about/

 
Also founded in 1955, is the long-established Shanghai cuisine restaurant ``Joyuanlu''.
It goes without saying that this restaurant is famous for its Shanghai cuisine, but not only its food but also its large sweet chestnuts are certified as excellent!
Chestnuts that are properly managed by the manufacturer are not only of high quality, but also have a calm design and a luxurious feel.
What's interesting is that each store has a different design.
After all, a long-established store has a firm attitude because it is a long-established store, which is proof of its excellence!
 
 
3rd store: China Trading Corporation Chinatown Main Store
http://www.ctrading.co.jp/honten.htm

 
China Trading Company's Chinatown main store is famous for having everything from Chinese and Asian ingredients, seasonings, and Chinese alcohol.
We mainly sell ingredients, but we also always sell freshly made sweet chestnuts in front of the store.
The design may be the most familiar bag, but the contents are completely different!
When I asked about it, I was told that the best thing about it is that it is cooked slowly over low heat, so the meat doesn't get tough.
It seems that the regular customers who are familiar with it come to buy it after checking it out!
 
 
4th store: Yokohama Hotel Large Amaguri
http://www.yokohamadaihanten.com/index.html

 
Yokohama Hotel is located on the corner of Zenrinmon, Chinatown Boulevard.
Doesn't everyone recognize that large store? As per the concept of ``a restaurant where you can casually enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine''
This restaurant is famous for its variety of options, from all-you-can-eat deals to original desserts.
One of their original products, ``Yokohama Hotel Large Amaguri,'' is sold in front of the store, and its bright yellow design catches the eye.
The poses of the sales staff are also outstanding!

The players (chestnut) are ready! Let's try it right away! !

The championship (tasting) started when all the players (chestnuts) were finally gathered!
How is this guy always putting on a good side?
By the way, when I took out the chestnut inside, it looked like this.
 

 
The condition of chestnuts may change depending on the day you bought them and the person who cooked them.
The following content is completely arbitrary and biased! !
*As 4 of the 7 excellent stores are of the same brand, there were 4 players (types).
 

 
The grains are large and non-sticky, and I felt it was the smoothest to the touch compared to others.
Also, because we are particular about everything from management to purchasing of ingredients, we are surprised that there is no variation in the size or hardness of the fruit!
It's great that your hands don't get sticky when you touch it, and it has a nice texture and just the right amount of sweetness.
It has a good texture and has a strong chestnut flavor!
 
 

 
There may be variations depending on the bag, but I felt that most of the fruits were round.
The skin is easy to peel, so no matter how many pieces you eat, it doesn't get sticky.
I guess the sweetness is slightly different at each store...
It has a good texture and has a strong chestnut flavor!
 
 

 
If you just look at the packaging, this one is probably the one you are most familiar with.
The texture of the meat is the best among these. This may be the most recommended for those who like sweet chestnuts with a strong texture.
The color of the first chestnut was also dark, so this may be due to the slow cooking.
After all, it has a strong chestnut flavor!
 
 

 
I felt that it had the softest texture among the four types.
More “moist” than soft..? The yellow package is cute and looks sweet, but the sweetness is elegant.
No matter how many pieces I eat, I don't get sick of it!
After all, the original taste of chestnuts is strong!
 
 
I ate quite a lot by myself...
 

 
Now, I have to decide on number one...
 
 
Which chestnut will come in first place?
 
 

So let's decide on the first place!

After all, when you compare them, the appearance is slightly different, and each store has a different taste.
But this has become an uphill battle.
Number one...I have to decide on number one...
I'm in trouble...
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
All sweet chestnuts are so delicious...
 
 
I can't rank them. Every chestnut is delicious and has its own goodness!
Everyone is already a winner!
But there was something more worrisome than that.
 

 
What should I do with all these leftover chestnuts?
 
That's it! Since they are chestnuts, you should cook them with rice!
Even though it's sweet chestnut, it's still a chestnut, so wouldn't it be good to put it in rice?
Besides, it doesn't matter how much it's ``Amaguri'' , if something amazing happens, it'll be a good story, so let's do it!
 
The Amakuri Championship has turned into a farce!
Is there any way to use leftover sweet chestnuts?
Go to the final chapter of the article!
 

Enjoy leftover sweet chestnuts!

I tried comparing them, but I ended up with a lot of sweet chestnuts, so I put them in the rice cooker instead...
Even if I fail, I can make an article about it, so I thought it would be interesting, but I was able to cook the rice!
 

 
that? Something's wrong... It's cooking better than I expected...
I was expecting it to look a little bad or have a strange smell, but it looks really delicious.
It's true that our rice cooker is made by Elephant, which we just bought, and it's a great product that can even bake bread, but that doesn't seem to be the cause.
However, if you scoop it with a rice scoop, it might look bad...
 

 
That's strange.. It looks more delicious than I expected.
But the taste is so sweet that I might not be able to eat it... Park.
 
Oh my goodness...it tasted better than I expected! It's actually really delicious! !
 
Even though I just cooked it with peeled sweet chestnuts, it has a strong aroma and taste, and even though I cooked it in a rice cooker, it still has a strong aroma and taste.
It's a miracle that the chestnuts are still standing as chestnuts without becoming squishy.
This is a really great way to use leftover sweet chestnuts.
After all, the recipe is just ``add sweet chestnuts and cook the rice.'' You won't find many easy recipes like this.
By the way, I did some research and found that making chestnut rice is a fairly popular method, and it is recommended to use sweet chestnuts that have become hard to make chestnut rice.
But Magcal doesn't end there.
You wouldn't have expected this to be the only one with the subtitle ~Easy recipes for using sweet chestnuts~, would you?
Please take a look at this.
 

Cooking & Recipe Provided by: Akiko Inoue
 
Oh my god!
 
How do you like it? This menu was created entirely with the help of a female staff member, and sweet chestnuts are used in everything other than rice.
And it's really delicious. It was so delicious that I forgot to take pictures of each dish...
By the way, the menu shown in the photo is
 
● Sweet chestnut bean paste dorayaki (sweet chestnut cream cheese paste)
●Japanese-style sweet chestnut potage soup
●Japanese-style tuna carpaccio with sweet chestnut dressing
●Sweet chestnut rice
*Please see the end of the page for the recipe.
 
There are 4 types in total!
Dorayaki is a perfect combination of sweet chestnuts and cream cheese, and the texture of the chestnuts is the best when you eat it.
Also, I thought the sweet chestnut potage would be extremely sweet, but it was refreshing and had a fragrant aroma.Personally, I definitely prefer this over the corn potage.
The Japanese-style tuna carpaccio was served with sweet chestnut dressing, which accentuated its texture and the slight sweetness of the chopped sweet chestnuts.
It's perfect not only as a side dish, but also as an accompaniment to alcohol.
The sweet chestnut rice is a version with some seasoning added, but just a little seasoning makes a huge difference in taste.
It's delicious even without it, but it's quite bland if you leave it as is.
If you want the sweet chestnut rice to have a strong flavor, it might be a good idea to add seasonings.
It was really eye-opening for me to see that sweet chestnuts can be used so much in cooking.
 
 
In the end, I couldn't decide on the best sweet chestnuts, but if you're going to buy sweet chestnuts, you can be sure of buying them from a ``recommended store.''
I hope the article helped you understand.
I also never thought that sweet chestnuts could be used in cooking so much, so I was really surprised when I wrote this article.
In the past, many sweet chestnuts were left to die in vain, such as not being able to eat them all and letting them rot, or their flesh becoming hard and inedible.
As someone with a troubled past, I am truly impressed by the potential that this sweet chestnut has.
Also, thank you to the Yokohama Chinatown Development Association Cooperative Association for allowing such a loose plan.
A total of 7 highly recommended stores graciously agreed to be interviewed. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

List of recipes using sweet chestnuts!

●Sweet chestnut bean paste dorayaki (4 pieces)
 
【material】
・Water 80ml
・Sugar 50g
・1 egg
・Mochi flour 100g
 
Combine water, sugar, and eggs in a bowl and mix until sugar is properly dissolved. Add mochiko to it and mix well until there are no lumps.
After frying in a Teflon-treated frying pan, sandwich the filling.
 
[Bean paste] Sweet chestnut cream cheese paste
・Cream cheese 180g *Adjust to taste
・Sweet chestnuts 150g
・5 pieces of walnuts
・Water 100g
・Sugar 30g
・20g starch syrup *Adjust to your preference
 
Make a syrup by adding water and sugar to a pot, then add the sweet chestnuts to the syrup and boil for a while.
Process it in a food processor until it is evenly mixed (if the sweet chestnuts are hard, heat them in the microwave to reach your desired consistency), then add the starch syrup and mix evenly. Adjust the sweetness with starch syrup. Mix it with cream cheese and sandwich it between the dough.
 
 
●Japanese-style sweet chestnut potage soup (for 4 people)
 
・Sweet chestnuts 40g
・Onion 1/2
・Shimeji mushroom 1/2
・Radish about 3cm
・1 piece of consommé
・1 teaspoon miso
・Soy milk *Adjust to your preference
・30g butter
・Salt (appropriate amount)
 
Fry the onion, daikon radish, and shimeji mushrooms in butter until softened, then season with salt. Add water, sweet chestnuts, and consommé to it and bring to a boil.
Mix with a food processor, add soy milk and miso, and heat without boiling.
Taste the soy milk until it reaches your desired creaminess. It's delicious even cold, so if you prefer it cold, chill it in the refrigerator.
 
 
●Japanese-style tuna carpaccio with sweet chestnut dressing
 
・1 pack for tuna sashimi
・Mizuna (appropriate amount)
・Adequate amount of radish
 
[Amaguri dressing]
·Sesame oil
·soy sauce
·vinegar
・A moderate amount of sweet chestnuts
・Chilli pepper (appropriate amount)
 
*Sesame oil: soy sauce: vinegar = 1:1:1
Heat the chili peppers and sesame oil over low heat. When it becomes fragrant and spicy, turn off the heat, let it cool, and mix it with soy sauce and vinegar.
Cut the sweet chestnuts into fine dice with a knife and add to the dressing. Pour the dressing over the tuna and salad.
 
 
●Sweet chestnut rice
 
・3 cups of rice
・As many sweet chestnuts as you like
・Water 600cc
・3 tablespoons of sake
・1 teaspoon salt
 
Place the ingredients in the rice cooker and turn it on.