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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), also called kampyō, is a special food from Japan. It is made from dried strips of a type of calabash gourd. This gourd is known as yugao or fukube in Japanese.

Kanpyō is a common ingredient in traditional Japanese cuisine, especially in Edo style dishes. When cooked and flavored, it is often used in futomaki sushi rolls.

Where Kanpyō Comes From

Kanpyō was first grown in the Osaka area of Japan. Today, it is a special product of Tochigi Prefecture. Many families there make Kanpyō as a small home business. This area is so famous for Kanpyō that it even has a road called the "Kanpyō Highway with History and Romance."

The city of Oyama, Tochigi has a fun mascot named Kapyomaru (かぴょ丸). Kapyomaru is a friendly calabash gourd with a face and arms!

How Kanpyō is Made

Farmers harvest the gourds for Kanpyō between late July and September. The white inside part of the gourd is cut into long, thin strips. These strips are about 3 centimeters wide and 3 millimeters thick.

After cutting, the strips are either dried under the sun or put into special machines to remove the water. Each year, over 200 tons of dried Kanpyō are made!

Sometimes, Kanpyō sold in places like the United States might look very white. This is because it has been treated to make it brighter. Naturally dried Kanpyō usually has a creamy color. A substance called Sulfur dioxide might be used to help preserve it, but only in very small, safe amounts.

Dishes Featuring Kanpyō

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

Kanpyō strips are used in many delicious dishes. They are also often used as an edible "tie" to hold other foods together, like in fukusa-zushi and chakin-zushi.

To prepare Kanpyō for cooking, the dried strips are usually boiled until they are soft. Then, they are often boiled a second time with soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients to give them a tasty flavor.

Here are some dishes that use Kanpyō:

  • Futomaki: These are large sushi rolls that often include Kanpyō.
  • Kanpyō-maki: These are sushi rolls with Kanpyō as the main filling. They are sometimes called teppo maki ("gun barrel maki") because they look like the end of a rifle.
  • Matsukasa sushi: This is a special sushi roll that uses squid instead of nori (seaweed) to wrap around sushi rice, Kanpyō, shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, and whitefish.
  • Shojin dashijiru: This is a vegan soup stock that can include Kanpyō.
Sushi Saito IMG 1818 (23694367142)
Kanpyō-maki rolls

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kanpyō para niños

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