Breakfast

 

The Breath of the Land
Our cuisine is crafted with the rich blessings of the mountains, nurtured by the pure meltwater of Mount Gassan. Each dish brings together wild mountain herbs, local specialties, and traditional flavors that have been cherished in this sacred region for generations.

A custom long cherished in Japan.

Before you begin, we invite you to press your hands together and say “Itadakimasu”—a gesture of gratitude for the meal.

And when you’ve finished, to once again join your hands and say “Gochisousama”, in thanks for the blessings received.

①Stir-fried and Simmered Zenmai (Royal Fern)
A traditional mountain dish made with thick, meaty zenmai ferns that grow only in select areas of the Dewa Sanzan mountains and are harvested in spring. The fern is carefully stir-fried in oil, then slowly simmered to allow the rich flavors to fully soak in, creating a deeply savory dish that pairs especially well with rice.

Zenmai is one of the mountain vegetables most carefully treasured and prepared at Sanada Enmei-in”.
For more details, please see below.

②Seasonal Fruit

③Simmered Fuki (Butterbur Stalks)
Harvested from spring to summer, “fuki” (butterbur) requires careful preparation. To preserve it for later in the season, the stalks are boiled, peeled, meticulously stringed, and salt-cured, which requires hours of soaking to rehydrate before cooking. Depending on the timing of your visit, we also serve it fresh without salting. While the fresh fuki offers a bright, fragrant aroma, the salt-cured version develops a beautifully deep, aged umami.

④Kuromame(Sweet Simmered Black Beans)
Black beans simmered until tender and sweetened.

⑤Red Kogomi (Fiddlehead Fern) Dressed with Sesame Sauce
In the snowmelt season of the Dewa Sanzan mountains, the wild mountain fern known as red kogomi emerges with the breath of spring. Harvested at its freshest, it is carefully sun-dried to preserve and concentrate its rich natural flavor.

Before serving, the dried fern is slowly and gently restored over the course of two days, with the hot water carefully changed by hand several times. The mellow sweetness of the finely prepared sesame dressing is a nostalgic taste that has long been cherished and passed down in this region.

⑥Pickled Itadori (Japanese Knotweed) in Vinegar
Mountain vegetable “dogoi” (itadori) pickled in vinegar.
This dish features a refreshing sourness and crisp texture.

⑦Stir-Fried Dried Warabi (Bracken Fern)
Harvested in spring, this local warabi (bracken fern) is first salt-cured and aged for several months, then carefully sun-dried. This traditional drying process strengthens its natural fibers, allowing the wild fern to hold its shape when stir-fried while developing a deep, concentrated umami and a uniquely hearty texture. Preparing it requires patience—taking two to three days to gently rehydrate in hot water—before it is finally ready to cook.

⑧Seasonal Pickles
Pickles prepared to highlight the flavors of the season.

⑨Nori (Seaweed)

The zenmai (Royal Fern) served at SanadaEnmei-in is a rare delicacy, found only in specific, steep cliffside areas of the Dewa Sanzan mountains. Its distinctive thickness and flavor are the result of nature’s bounty and careful harvesting.

To prepare it for our guests, large quantities must first be foraged by hand in the mountains. After harvesting, each piece is meticulously cleaned, then sun-dried for 3 to 7 days, allowing it to be preserved naturally without additives.

Before cooking, the dried zenmai is rehydrated slowly over 2 to 3 days in hot water, with the water changed several times during the process. Only after this time-consuming preparation can the fern finally be cooked and served.

This is a dish that embodies both the blessings of the mountains and the deep care taken in traditional preparation.

Such careful, traditional handwork is rarely found today, even among Pilgrim’s lodgings.

Sanada Enmei-in is one of the few places that still preserves this way of working with nature.

We hope you enjoy this seasonal journey through the unique flavors and culinary traditions of our home.