Kanpyō: The Versatile and Delicious Ingredient that Ties Japanese Cuisine Together

The fruit of the yūgao can weigh as much as six to seven kilograms. (© Pixta)

Utagawa Hiroshige’s Minakuchi, from his woodcut print series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō. (Courtesy ColBase)

The long, thin strips are created by mounting the gourd on a motor-driven rod and shaving it with a special planer-style blade as it rotates. (© Pixta)

While the strips were traditionally hung out to dry in the sun, it is now more common to dry them in greenhouses using fans, so they are not affected by weather conditions. (© Pixta)

Hosomaki sushi rolls on the left (© Pixta), futomaki on the right. (© PhotoAC)

Konbumaki kelp rolls. (© PhotoAC)

Mochi kinchaku fried tōfu pouches. (© PhotoAC)

Cabbage rolls tied with kanpyō. (© Pixta)