ST025 Kaga lotus root

Snow Treasure

Painting size: 16cm x 23cm

Framing size: 25.5cm x 32cm

While I was drawing my Kanazawa series, which features landscapes of Kanazawa, I suddenly got the idea to try drawing "Kaga vegetables," a type of vegetable unique to Ishikawa Prefecture.

However, while simple vegetables themselves can be used in illustrations, it's difficult to make them work as drawings. So, after thinking about it for a while, I decided to order a higher-end ink series from Pelikan, the fountain pen manufacturer.

Black, green, red, and two shades of blue—each color is rich and expansive, unlike anything found in watercolors, and spread beautifully across the paper.

This was only possible because the ink used in the fountain pen was specifically designed to produce clear, crisp writing.

I used this Pelikan ink as the background to make the vegetables stand out, keeping the use of color to a minimum.

Kaga lotus root is said to have originated when Maeda Tsunanori, the fifth lord of the Kaga domain, brought it back from Mino Province during his sankin-kotai (alternate attendance) journey and planted it.

With its short segments, stocky build, and brown "rust"-colored skin, it has a somehow endearing appearance.

"Kaga lotus root," which is rich in starch and has a chewy, sticky texture and a crisp bite, is ideal for dishes such as "hasumushi" (steamed lotus root), pureed lotus root soup, stews, and tempura.

I suddenly had a craving for "surinagashi-jiru," a soup made by grating Kaga lotus root, pouring it into dashi broth, simmering it slowly, and then adding miso. With freshly cooked rice and pickled vegetables, it would make a truly delicious feast.