寒冷地に咲く甘じょっぱい奇跡:久慈市「まめぶ汁」に刻まれた生き抜くための記憶 / A Sweet and Savory Miracle in the Cold: The Survival Wisdom Behind Kuji’s

久慈市山形町に伝わる「まめぶ汁」は、岩手の厳しい冬を生き抜くための知恵と愛情が凝縮された郷土料理です。クルミと黒砂糖を包んだ小麦団子(まめぶ)を、野菜や豆腐と共に醤油仕立ての汁で煮込む――。口の中で広がる「甘み」と「しょっぱさ」の絶妙なハーモニーは、単なる味覚の驚きだけでなく、かつて貴重だった糖分を大切に分かち合った先人たちの「生きる力」を伝えてくれます。

English Text: “Mamebu-jiru,” a traditional dish from the Yamagata district of Kuji City, is a concentrated essence of the wisdom and affection needed to survive Iwate’s harsh winters. It features “mamebu”—small wheat flour dumplings stuffed with walnuts and brown sugar—simmered in a savory soy-based broth with vegetables and tofu. The exquisite harmony of “sweet and salty” that spreads in the mouth is more than just a culinary surprise; it conveys the “vitality” of ancestors who cherished and shared precious sugar in times of scarcity.

琥珀に宿る太古の記憶とオシラサマの祈り:久慈で紡がれる悠久の物語 / Ancient Memories in Amber and the Prayers of Oshirasama: The Eternal Story Spun in Kuji

岩手県久慈市。この地には、8500万年前の地球の息吹が眠る「琥珀」と、北東北特有の民間信仰「オシラサマ」が交差する、深く神秘的な物語があります。地層から掘り出される黄金の輝きと、農村で大切にされてきた蚕の神。一見異なる二つの要素は、この地における「自然からの授かりもの」という共通の系譜で結ばれています。

Ancient Memories in Amber and the Prayers of Oshirasama: The Eternal Story Spun in Kuji

Kuji City in Iwate Prefecture holds a deep, mystical story where the breath of the Earth from 85 million years ago, captured in “amber,” intersects with the unique folk belief of “Oshirasama” found in Northern Tohoku. The golden brilliance excavated from the geological layers and the silkworm deity cherished in rural villages may seem like two distinct elements at first glance, but they are bound together by a shared lineage as “gifts from nature” bestowed upon this land.