Protected local food
Futago Taro
二子さといも
A rich, smooth taro from Kitakami in Iwate. Soft but very sticky, it holds its shape when cooked and comes in large, even sizes.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 27 September 2018
- Region
- Tohoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 二子さといも
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 岩手県北上市
Floods made the soil
Floods of the Kitakami River left fertile, well-drained soil around Kitakami in Iwate, with deep topsoil where taro can root well. The taro here is rich in flavour, smooth, soft yet strongly sticky, and it holds its shape in the pot.
Seed shared between neighbours
Seed taro is hard to keep through the winter. Growers pass down how to store it, and if someone's seed fails, the others share theirs, a custom that goes back a long way. The whole area protects the seed and skills inherited from their ancestors.
How to eat it
In autumn, Iwate holds imonoko-jiru gatherings: a taro soup with chicken or beef, vegetables and soy sauce, often cooked outdoors by a river.
Good to know
- Kitakami is known for Tenshochi park, one of Japan's best cherry blossom spots. Taro season is autumn.
- Compare with Kamisho Taro from Fukui. In Iwate, also try Maesawa beef.
Questions travellers ask
What is imonoko?
The local Iwate name for taro. Futago taro is also sold as Futago imonoko.
Where is it grown?
In Kitakami city, Iwate Prefecture.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.