Kaga maruimo yam

The growing area for Kaga Maruimo sits in Nomi City and in Komatsu's Takado, Noda, and Hitotsuhari districts. The yam belongs to a black-skinned yamatimo type, with a body often compared to a softball or to an adult man's fist. Its round shape reduces waste when peeled, while its dense, low-moisture flesh gives grated tororo a grip that can be lifted and stretched with chopsticks.

The Tedori River spreads into an alluvial fan around Nomi, and the 1934 flood pushed river sand into former paddy fields where it mixed with clayey soil. That softer, better-drained ground became one condition for growing larger, rounder yams, so the shape of Kaga Maruimo is tied to a river event still visible in the field soil.

Cultivation has continued for more than 100 years from the early Taisho period. Local accounts connect early spread with Sawada Jinzomatsu and Akita Chusaku, and by 1935 the name Kaga Maruimo was already used in Neagari village. Around 1971, the wider southern Kaga area also began using Kaga Maruimo as a shared name.

The field year begins around April, when growers make high ridges with dedicated machinery and plant the seed yams in soft, well-drained soil. When shoots appear around June, supports and plastic twine go up; in July, vines are trained along them. Harvest usually comes in October to November, after the aboveground stems and leaves have withered.

Once grated, Kaga Maruimo can be loosened with dashi and poured over hot rice, or spooned into clear soup, miso soup, and hot pot as dumplings that hold together. Its strong viscosity also suits isobe-age with nori or green shiso, and a flourless okonomiyaki style where the yam brings both fluffiness and chew.

The same stickiness and yam aroma move into soba, udon, jojo manju, wagashi, fish-paste products, shochu, and croquettes. In these foods, Kaga Maruimo is valued as a texture-giving ingredient, carrying the round yam from the rice bowl into steamed sweets, noodles, and processed fish cakes.

After harvest, Kaga Maruimo is easily damaged and weak against drying, so it is kept with sawdust in a cool, dark place. Freshly dug yams are juicy, while the flavor becomes deeper after about a year. Nomi City also faces aging producers and fewer farms, even as younger growers begin cultivating the round yam in the same area.