History, meaning and kinds of kanpyo

Kanpyo-maki is is one of the sushi for finishing off!?

Kanpyo is dried gourd shavings, and is often cooked by boiling with soy sauce, sugar and sweet sake. Kanpyo-maki is a sushi roll with it. This sushi roll is one of the sushi for finishing off in sushi restaurants. It is refreshing and good for full stomach. Sabikan is Kanpyo-maki added Japanese horseradish wasabi. This sushi roll goes well with alcoholic drinks.

It is popular in east of Japan including Tokyo, but is not popular in west of Japan including Osaka and Kyoto. Japanese in west eat Kanpyo as ingredient of Futomaki which is a thick sushi roll with various ingredients.

A sushi roll was eaten from 1750s to 1780s according to the recipe book in Edo period (1603-1867). Kanpyo-maki was eaten from around 1800, and was called Okaru then. Okaru is the heroine of Okaru and Kanpei which is one story of the Treasury of Loyal Retainers (Kana dehon Chushingura) in 1748. This roll was also called Teppo which means a gun in east of Japan. Kanpyo-maki is only sushi roll in east then.

The origin of Kanpyo is Kidu village in Osaka according to the old documents like Kefukigusa and Gokinaishi in 1700s. The chief producing district for Kanpyo was the west of Japan for a long time. There is the Ukiyo-e picture of it in the 53 stations of the Tokaido created by Hiroshige Utagawa in 1832.

However, the chief producing district of it is Tochigi prefecture in the east of Japan from 20 century. This area accounts for 99% of Kanpyo production now according the data of Ministry of Agriculture Japan. The beginning of producing it is that the feudal lord brought seeds of bottle gourd in 1712.

By the way, Kanpyo is often used as band of Kobumaki (rolled kelp with fish), Age-kinchaku (pouch of fried soybean curd), cabbage roll and more. The popular dishes of it is sushi or band of roll dishes, but there are various dishes in Tochigi prefecture. People in there cooked Kanpyo as boiled it, fried it, vinegared it, soup and more. Kaminarijiru which is soup with it, egg and dried seaweed is served for school lunch.

You can enjoy various Kanpyo dishes including sushi when you travel Japan. If you like sushi and conveyor belt sushi restaurant, you can invest it. Food and life companies (TYO:3563) and Kura Sushi Inc (TYO:2695) are listed in Tokyo Stock Exchange. These companies are also included some ETFs for investing Japanese companies.