Kuromame-ni

In short

Black soybeans of Tamba

Black soybeans are grown mainly in the Tamba area, including Kyotamba Town and Nantan City. Soybeans have long been counted as one of the five grains, around the time the Kojiki (712) and the Nihon Shoki (720) were written, but when “Tamba black soybeans,” a variety, came about is not known. A book of the 10th century lists them as “kuromame” apart from ordinary soybeans, and in the 16th century “kuromame” appear among gifts to the imperial court, so they were probably grown widely by then.

They are grown in an inland climate with fertile soil and big differences in day and night temperatures, so they grow into large beans with a rich taste. Growing takes half a year and is technically hard, so growers sometimes call them “hard-work beans.”

From flower to harvest

The plants flower around August. In September and October, pods begin to fill, and the beans slowly turn black. Just before they turn black, in October, black soybeans for edamame are harvested. Those for simmered beans are harvested around November. Before harvest, the leaves around the beans are removed, and the beans, in the sun, slowly dry and change from oval to round.

A New Year wish

At New Year, they are served as kuromame-ni with a wish for long life and health, such as “may you work hard (mame ni) until you are tanned as black.” Large, wrinkle-free, glossy black soybeans taste good when cooked.

How it is made, and today

The beans are simmered with sugar and soy sauce. When they are cooked, they are put in a bowl and eaten as they are. Cooking them slowly over low heat makes them plump and tasty.

Black soybeans are standard for osechi, but kuromame-ni and bean rice are eaten all year too. Local elementary schools teach it in home economics class, and New Year school lunches may include a dish with black soybeans. In recent years, many new recipes have appeared, and some areas sell sweets and tofu made from black soybeans.

Think about it

• Q1“Mame ni hataraku” means to work hard. How can a food carry a wish through a word play?
• Q2The soybean needs half a year of growing. Which plant do you know that needs a long time?
• Q3What dishes are made in your home for the New Year?

There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.