ひっつみ汁

English Version

Features of Hittsumi Soup

A hand-pinched flour soup of northern Tohoku

Hittsumi-jiru is a regional soup made by stretching salted wheat dough thin with your fingers, pinching off pieces, and cooking them in broth. From eastern Aomori through Iwate’s Nanbu area, the simple wheat flavor meets a hearty, ingredient-rich broth.

Thinly stretched, chewy—smooth to slurp

Knead the dough to earlobe softness and rest it, then stretch to 1–2 mm and tear. The irregular edges “catch” the broth for a silky, slurpable texture.

Deep, comforting broth of chicken and roots

Chicken thigh with burdock, carrot, mushrooms, and long green onion in a soy-based broth is classic. A miso version is also common—ingredients and seasoning vary by season and household.

Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Dough: All-purpose (or medium-strength) flour 200 g / Salt 1/3 tsp / Water 110–130 ml (as needed)
• Fixings: Chicken thigh 200 g (bite-size) / Burdock root 1/2 stalk (shaved) / Carrot 1/2 (batons) / Shiitake 3–4 caps (thinly sliced) / Long green onion 1 (on a bias)
• Broth & seasoning: Dashi 900 ml (kombu + katsuobushi, or chicken stock) / Sake 1 tbsp / Mirin 1 tbsp / Soy sauce 2–3 tbsp / Salt a pinch

Instructions

1. Dough: Mix flour and salt; add water gradually and knead 3–4 minutes. When earlobe-soft, wrap and rest for 30 minutes or more.
2. Broth: Bring dashi to a boil; add chicken and skim. Add burdock, carrot, and shiitake; simmer 7–8 minutes over medium heat.
3. Stretch & pinch: Take dough in hand, pull it thin with your fingers (1–2 mm), and pinch off bite-size pieces, dropping them directly into the simmering broth.
4. Cook: After all pieces are added, season with mirin, soy sauce, and sake. Simmer 2–3 minutes until set; add the long green onion and bring just to a boil. Adjust salt.
5. Finish: Turn off the heat and rest 1–2 minutes before serving.

Chef’s Tip

Rested dough stretches easier. Tear pieces thin and irregular for lively texture. Dusting isn’t needed—lightly wetting your hands helps handling. For a miso style, reduce soy sauce and dissolve a little miso at the end.

Nutritional Value (per bowl, approx.)

• Calories: 320–430 kcal
• Protein: 18–25 g
• Fat: 8–14 g
• Carbohydrates: 45–60 g (from dough and vegetables)

A complete bowl of staples: starch + protein + vegetables. Adjust portion with dough amount; manage fat and salt with skin-on/off chicken and seasoning.

History

Flour-based fare and the wisdom of hand-stretching & pinching

Adopted as a filling meal when rice was scarce, it also became hospitality fare for guests and festivals. Names and styles vary by region—Miyagi’s “hatto,” Iwate’s “hittsumi,” Aomori’s “tsumeri.”

A household taste passed down

Clear soy broth, miso, chicken stock, niboshi—bases are diverse. Seasonal mushrooms and roots, or abura-age, shape each locale’s signature bowl.