Traditional Nagano Miso Soup with Bamboo Shoots and Canned Mackerel

“Takenoko-jiru” (bamboo shoot miso soup) is a beloved local dish in the Hokushin region of Nagano Prefecture and the Joetsu region of Niigata Prefecture.The star ingredient is nemagari-dake, a type of wild bamboo shoot harvested only briefly during early summer in mountainous areas.

This rare delicacy, known for its low bitterness and aromatic sweetness that deepens with each bite, is a treasured gift from the snowy mountain regions.

This miso soup also features another essential ingredient—canned mackerel in water.

In landlocked Nagano, where fresh seafood was once scarce, canned mackerel became popular in the 1950s as a convenient and flavorful source of "sea taste."

Adding umami-rich canned fish gives depth and smoothness to the simple miso broth, perfectly complementing the bamboo shoots.

While the soup is delicious with just bamboo shoots and mackerel, many families customize it with ingredients such as onions, carrots, tofu, fried tofu, or beaten egg.

It’s a dish filled with seasonal freshness and the wisdom of combining preserved and local ingredients.

This soup has become an annual tradition in my kitchen—I absolutely love how flavorful and comforting it is!

Since the mackerel is added along with its canning liquid, I use a modest amount of miso to avoid overpowering the broth’s natural taste.