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Kanpyō (food) facts for kids

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Kanpyo, (dried gourd strips)
Kanpyō (raw), dried shavings of "Lagenaria siceraria" var. "hispida
Kanpyō (raw), dried shavings of Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy 1,079 kJ (258 kcal)
65.03 g
Dietary fiber 9.8 g
0.56 g
Saturated 0.045 g
Trans 0
Monounsaturated 0.103 g
Polyunsaturated 0.244 g
Protein
8.58 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A 0 IU
Thiamine (B1)
0%
0 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
4%
0.044 mg
Niacin (B3)
18%
2.9 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
51%
2.553 mg
Vitamin B6
41%
0.532 mg
Folate (B9)
15%
61 μg
Vitamin B12
0%
0 μg
Vitamin C
0%
0.2 mg
Vitamin D
0%
0 IU
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
28%
280 mg
Copper
22%
0.433 mg
Iron
39%
5.12 mg
Magnesium
35%
125 mg
Manganese
54%
1.137 mg
Phosphorus
27%
188 mg
Potassium
53%
1582 mg
Selenium
4%
2.6 μg
Sodium
1%
15 mg
Zinc
62%
5.86 mg
Other constituents Quantity
Water 19.97 g
Alcohol (ethanol) 0
Caffeine 0
Cholesterol 0
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults.

Kanpyō (かんぴょう or 干瓢), sometimes romanized and pronounced kampyō, are dried shavings of Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida, a variety of calabash gourd. The gourd is known as yugao (夕顔) or fukube (フクベ) in Japanese. Kanpyō is an ingredient in traditional Edo style Japanese cuisine. Cooked and flavored kanpyō is commonly used in futomaki sushi roll.

Kanpyō was originally grown in the Osaka region. Now it is a specialty product of Tochigi Prefecture, where it is a cottage industry. The region is so tied to the food product that it hosts the "Kanpyō Highway with History and Romance". The yuru-chara for Oyama, Tochigi is Kapyomaru (かぴょ丸), an anthropomorphized calabash.

The gourd is harvested between late July and September. The white flesh of the gourd is cut into strips 3 cm wide and 3 mm thick, then either dried in the sun or dehydrated. Over 200 tons a year of dried kanpyō are produced per year. Kanpyō available in the United States is sometimes chemically bleach-dried to a very white color, as opposed to the creamy color of the naturally-dried kind. Sulfur dioxide is sometimes used as a fumigant but must not be used in concentrations exceeding 5.0 g per 1 kg of dry matter.

Dishes featuring kanpyō

Kobumaki 001
The traditional new year dish kombu-maki tied with strips of kanpyō

In addition to being the focus of many dishes, kanpyō strips are frequently used as an edible twist tie in dishes such as fukusa-zushi and chakin-zushi. Typically the dried strips are boiled to soften, and then boiled a second time with soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients added for flavor.

Sushi Saito IMG 1818 (23694367142)
Kanpyō-maki rolls
  • Futomaki
  • Kanpyō-maki, also called teppo maki ("gun barrel maki") as it looks like the end of a rifle
  • Matsukasa sushi ("pinecone sushi"), a roll using squid filet (instead of nori) wrapped around sushi rice, kanpyō, shiitake, snow peas, and whitefish
  • Shojin dashijiru, a vegan soup stock
Tokaido50 Minakuchi
Kanpyō drying in Minakuchi-juku from The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō by Hiroshige

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kanpyō para niños

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