Tanba Sasayama City
Shipping of “Tamba black soybeans” is at its peak.
Certified as a Japanese agricultural heritage! “The world’s largest” black beans are essential for New Year dishes
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In Tamba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, the harvest and shipment of Tamba black soybeans, a specialty product used in Osechi cuisine, will soon reach its peak. Tamba-guro, a black soybean that originated in Tamba-Sasayama City, is known for its large grains and its skin that does not easily break when boiled, and is shipped all over the country for boiled beans during New Year’s holidays. This year too, you will soon be able to enjoy a masterpiece that has been certified as a Japanese agricultural heritage.
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“Tamba black soybean” originates from Tamba Sasayama City.
Tamba black soybeans, which are cultivated in the climate with temperature differences unique to the basin, are known for their grain size, which is said to be the largest in the world, as well as their fluffy, chewy texture, and are produced by approximately 2,500 farmers. doing. Its history dates back to the Edo period, and it was also prized as a gift to the shogunate and the imperial court. December is the peak of harvesting and shipping, and people are working all over the city to cut down dried and brown plants using large scissors. The harvested black soybeans are left to dry in the field for a while, then the grains are extracted using a special machine and then sorted and shipped.
This year, there was a slight delay in growth due to the intense summer heat and little rain, but the recent cool weather has helped ripen the soybeans, and as usual, large, sweet black soybeans are being harvested. Harvesting continues until late December, and they are shipped all over the country as an essential ingredient for New Year’s dishes.
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The pride of “Honmamon” nurtured by 300 years of history
“Tamba Sasayama black soybean cultivation” was certified as a “Japanese Agricultural Heritage” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2021. We still carry on the unique traditional farming methods that have been practiced for more than 300 years during the Edo period, such as working together as a village in production and repeatedly selecting and growing large, round crops. While regular black soybeans take about 70 days from flowering to maturity, Tamba black soybeans take a longer time of about 100 days, and they mature for nearly 30 days while accumulating nutrients, resulting in larger grains. Because of this, it requires a lot of effort and time to cultivate, which is why it is also called “hard-working beans.”
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“Tamba black” is a native variety that has been passed down in Tamba Sasayama City for a long time, and even if it is grown outside of Tamba Sasayama City, it is sometimes called “Tamba black soybean.” Due to its popularity, Tambaguro is increasingly grown in areas other than Tamba-Sasayama City, but Tambaguro in Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, is the birthplace of Tambaguro and boasts the highest production volume and quality in Japan. Soybeans are “honmamon”. Please enjoy the authentic taste backed by traditional cultivation techniques.
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Tamba Sasayama City Japanese Agricultural Heritage Special Site: https://tambasasayama-kuromame.jp/
Enjoy the taste of Tamba black soybeans even when you donate your hometown tax! Many of Tamba Sasayama’s “black soybeans” are also exhibited as return gifts for hometown tax donations to Tamba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture. In addition to freshly harvested black soybeans, we also have boiled beans and sweets that can be enjoyed easily. The donations received will be used for “projects related to agricultural promotion as an agricultural capital,” including the promotion of black soybean production.
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https://brand-tambasasayama.com/About Tamba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture
Tamba Sasayama City, a town surrounded by mountains in the central eastern part of Hyogo Prefecture, has prospered as a transportation hub from the western countries to Kyoto since ancient times. Even today, the influence of Kyoto culture remains in many places, such as the townscape and festivals where floats are paraded. In addition, the basin’s unique climate and climate, such as the temperature difference between day and night and the “Tamba fog” that occurs from autumn to winter, fosters many agricultural products, including the nationally famous “Tamba black soybean.” , you can enjoy the flavors of the four seasons.
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https://tourism.sasayama.jp/