Furofuki Daikon (風呂吹き大根)
Furofuki daikon is simmered Japanese radish, which is often served with Miso sauce. This simmered dish is called as merely Furofuki when another vegetable such as turnip or wax gourd is used instead of radish.
Origin of the name
There are several views on the origin of the name. According to one of them, when an Urushi-ware (Japanese lacquerware) craftsman tried to shorten the time period required to dry urushi-ware in winter time, he was advised by a Buddhist monk to dry urushi-ware in Furo (store room for urushi-ware) filled with water vapor from boiling water used to simmer Japanese radish, and succeeded in it by following this advice. A large amount of simmered Japanese radish which was produced to generate a large amount of water vapor was then distributed to neighbors. It is said that the neighbors found the simmered Japanese radish delicious and the simmered Japanese radish was named as 'Furofuki daikon' after its associated process in which the water vapor of the boiling water used to simmer Japanese radish was blown into the Furo.
However, because 'Furo' is originally a term used to refer to a sauna bath and its original form was 'Muro,' which is a space filled with water vapor, the relationship between the cause and the result seems to have been reversed in this view. Another view, which claims that boiling water used to provide the furo (drying room for urushi-ware) with moisture was utilized to simmer Japanese radish for energy saving, is more realistic.
Recipe
Cut Japanese radish into 4 cm thick rounds, peel them, and peel a very thin strip from the edges of each slice. Then, in order to make the finished color white, cover them with rice water washings (or water with a handful of rice) and cook.
On the bottom of a saucepan, place kombu (kelp) first and then the cooked Japanese radish, and simmer them with sufficient water until the radish becomes tender.
The well-cooked Japanese radish is served with separately prepared Miso sauce
The remaining kombu and soup can be taken as-is or can also be used for other foods.