An event will also be held, the fascinating “Meeting to enjoy creative cuisine and sake”

Although ippongi does not usually sell alcohol, they sometimes hold events at night. This time, the 6th sake event will be held, and I was allowed to participate.

At each seat, there is a sake cup lined up with a serving plate.

In this event, you can taste creative cuisine while drinking and comparing Japanese sake. Mr. Sugimoto, who continues to fascinate people's stomachs, prepares creative dishes that go well with sake related to sake production areas and history. Whether you are a first-timer or a repeater, enjoy sake and food, and create a peaceful space by exchanging alcohol.

Spectacular Japanese sake lineup.

There is also an opportunity to compare 6 types of sake and learn about each brewery and local information.

This event is held in collaboration with a local sake expert, and one of the attractions is that you can carefully explain the production area of each sake and the points that the sake brewery is particular about.

The lineup ranges from sweet and fragrant drinks suitable for aperitif to refreshing drinks that complement the food. Participants who like Japanese sake are also very satisfied.

Start with "Koshimeshi", a Mie-style arrangement of Kochi's local cuisine.

Normally, when drinking alcohol, rice is often eaten at the end, but this is a farmer's cafe. The rice is served in a bowl from the beginning and enjoyed with sake. Moreover, this rice is said to have arranged the local cuisine of Kochi, which is the production area of sake handled at the event.

When thinking about the content of the event, Mr. Sugimoto seems to come up with the menu after the sake line-up is decided.

Side dishes are buffet style. Conversation also occurs here.

A lot of creative dishes are also prepared, and it is a platter style like an old big family. In particular, Mr. Sugimoto wants to communicate with people he doesn't know by sharing, so this event uses a buffet style.

Seeing how many of the participants actually got along with each other over drinks and food made me feel the warmth of being at home.

Dessert instead of rice.

Seasonal shaved ice for dessert. The syrup is Amazake! The people who participated in the taste that they had never eaten could not hide their surprise. Combined with the accompanying fruit compote, the taste of adults spreads.

Mr. Sugimoto's brother and sister are the best in cooking creativity and consideration. It was a blissful time when I felt that ippongi fans were born like this.

By the way, Ippongi's tableware is cute and very nice.

A little imperfect, the pleasure of tasting aging

Mr. Sugimoto: “The tableware I use in the cafe is my personal favorite. Many of them were given to me by acquaintances when I opened the shop, or I bought them at an antique market.
All of them are old, so some people may feel that they are garbage, such as uneven or B-grade products. But that kind of thing is lovely. The shape is slightly distorted. ”

When you open the drawer of the chest of drawers that serves as a cash register, there is a vessel there.

Mr. Sugimoto carefully puts away the plates and cups.

The vessels that were in the drawer.

When you open the drawer to see the plates, you can see various tableware such as plates and cups reminiscent of ancient China. Each one is very unique. One of the pleasures of cooking is thinking about how to serve the food on which plate.

To get a glimpse of Mr. Sugimoto's affection for pottery, we asked him about his glassware.

Mr. Sugimoto: "I'm going to talk a little nonsense. LOL I want you to look at this glass vessel. There are air bubbles in it. Look.

At first glance, it looks like a "failed product" that air bubbles have entered even though it was produced in a factory. I think it's because it was produced a long time ago, but I feel that its imperfections are proof that it was made by human hands, and it feels special. Just looking at this glass vessel makes me imagine such a thing. When I imagine that, I feel that all of them are important and I want to use them for cooking. ”

Mr. Sugimoto, who says so, is overflowing with love. I also like vessels, so it's a story that strongly sympathizes.

At first glance it is an ordinary glass vessel ... ...

Looking at the bottom well ......

Little bubbles! It is said that love grows in such an imperfect vessel.

What a lot of stories to unwind.

I feel that Mr. Sugimoto's delicacy in valuing things and resources has raised the "tastiness" of his cooking. Mr. Sugimoto's personality creates "delicious" and impresses people.

It is a 7-minute walk from Kintetsu Minoda Station. Why don't you go and enjoy the rice and nature?

[Farmer cafe ippongi]
Address: 1-2-6 Nakaminoda, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture
Business hours: 8:00-17:00
Regular holiday: Wednesday, Thursday
Parking lot: Yes
http://www.cafe-ippongi.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cafe.ippongi/

“Mushimochi” which was a reward after rice planting

Mr. Sugimoto, who inherited the farming business from his father and continues to take on new challenges, inspired me greatly as I learned how to make Japanese sweets from my grandfather. This time, I would like to talk about sweets related to agriculture.

▼ Japanese and Western confectionery Kikunoya article
https://life-designs.jp/webmagazine/kikunoya/

"Mushimochi" is a simple traditional sweet made by wrapping rice cakes in leaves.

Suzuka City has a lot of rice fields and has been an area where agriculture has flourished since ancient times. There are many cultures that were born in that environment, one of which is sweets.

This time, we will introduce “Mushimochi”, a simple Japanese confectionery made from wheat flour dough with red bean paste inside. Mushimochi has the characteristic of changing its name and appearance depending on the season. In early spring, it becomes "Ibara mochi" wrapped in Sankirai leaves, and in the summer, it becomes "Myoga mochi" wrapped in Myoga leaves.

Ibara mochi is a traditional sweet sandwiched between the leaves of a plant called Sankirai.

Myoga mochi has a nice aroma because it is steamed with Japanese ginger wrapped around it.

Sankirai and myoga leaves used for mochi can be picked from nearby fields. Changes in climate and Japanese confectionery are closely related, and the selling period of “Ibaramochi” and “Mushimochi” is left to nature. In other words, it is only for a limited time while the leaves can be picked.

Mushimochi, also known as "noagari mochi", is a traditional sweet that is said to have been eaten as a reward by peasants who had finished planting rice in the olden days.

Mushimochi is a popular product from spring to summer.

You can get well with the ingredients of adzuki beans

Such mochi mochi is packed with plenty of red bean paste.

Red bean, which is the raw material of red bean paste, contains a well-balanced amino acid, and because it is a source of protein and vitamins, it has been attracting attention as a health food in recent years.

In the olden days, peasants may have eaten azuki beans as "noagari mochi" to take care of their health, whether they knew about such health benefits or not.

Grainy red bean paste in the middle of cooking.

Rolled red bean paste inside mochi.

Anko is mainly made from adzuki beans and sugar. Just like Mr. Sugimoto's idea that making the best use of the ingredients leads to ``deliciousness,'' he devotes himself to drawing out the original taste of the ingredients in the Antaki.

The idea that "eating the ingredients themselves 'deliciously' leads to health" is very convincing, and it was a big realization during this interview. From now on, I want to make sweets that are not only delicious, but also healthy.

[Japanese and Western sweets Kikunoya]
Address: 1-37-10 Wakamatsu Kita, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture
Phone number: 059-385-5001
Business hours: 9:00-18:00
Closed: Tuesdays, 4th Mondays
Parking lot: Yes
http://kikunoya1934.jp/
https://www.instagram.com/kikunoya1934/