I Tried Making: Mukago Rice and Mukago with Nori and Butter

I found mukago (yam bulbils) at the supermarket.

Mukago are small, round bulbils about 1-2 cm in diameter that grow at the base of the leaves on the vines of yam plants like nagaimo, yamato-imo, and jinenjo.

Their main nutrients include the digestive enzyme 'amylase,' 'arginine,' which is said to promote the secretion of growth hormones and boost immunity, and sticky components that help promote metabolism and cell proliferation.

I made mukago rice once around this time last year, but now is the peak season.
They aren't something you see very often, so I decided to buy them while I have the chance.

First, the classic mukago rice.

Mukago rice is easy to make because you don't need to cut or pre-boil the ingredients.

◆How to make◆
1. Wash the mukago.
2. Place the mukago on top of the washed rice (soak if you like) and cook.

That's it.

A tip is to wash them by rubbing them against a colander to remove the earthy smell, I suppose.

When cooked, the mukago are fluffy.
It feels like rice with little steamed potatoes scattered throughout.

The next day.

I made stir-fried mukago with nori and butter using the leftovers.
I actually wished they would sell half the amount for half the price, but this way of eating them was so delicious that I finished the rest in no time.

◆How to make◆
1. Wash the mukago.
(As mentioned above, rubbing them against a colander is recommended)
2. While still wet, microwave them in a heat-resistant container for about a minute and a half.
(This makes them fluffy. Be careful of burns) ← I got burned lol
3. Melt the salted butter in a heated frying pan.
4. Add the mukago and stir-fry.
(The appearance doesn't change much, so just coating them in butter is fine)
5. Add the mentsuyu, garlic, and aonori, and stir-fry for about a minute to let the flavors blend, and it's done!
※If you don't have aonori, I think it's still delicious without it.

It's delicious with a strong flavor!
It was frustrating to eat them one by one with chopsticks, so I ate them all at once with a spoon.

I want to continue enjoying many seasonal delicacies.

Yesterday was a supermoon, so I borrowed kimuko's photo of the moon for the top image. Thank you very much.