We’ll be visiting the far northern prefecture of Akita and learning about Akita’s local cooking over two episodes. In the first episode, we’ll learn about Kiritampo-nabe, a hotpot dish once cooked by the Matagi, hunters who lived in the mountains. This hotpot contains local Hinai chicken, seri, maitake mushrooms, burdock root, and kiritampo, the item that gives the dish its name. Made by mashing rice, then spreading it on a stick and grilling it, kiritampo are perfect for soaking up the rich flavor of the Hinai chicken soup. We’ll also learn about Akita’s unique food culture, full of the flavors of nature.