About YUUHow kenchinjiru began
A soup of vegetables stir-fried in oil, then simmered. One theory says it comes from “Kenchō-jiru” at Kenchō-ji temple in Kamakura.
👀 At a glance
📍WhereKanagawa (Kamakura)
🕰WhenOver 700 years ago
🥕WhatStir-fried, simmered veg soup
📜 Two theories about the name
🇨🇳
Theory 1
“Kenchan”, a dish from Chinese temple cuisine (fucha ryori), became a Japanese word[1]
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Theory 2
“Kenchō-jiru” made at Kenchō-ji temple in Kamakura came to be called “kenchin-jiru”[1]
🗾 How it spread
It has been eaten at Kenchō-ji for over 700 years. One story says monks who trained there took it around Japan, spreading it nationwide[1]
🌱 The temple version
Kenchō-ji’s kenchinjiru is temple cuisine, so it uses no animal foods, and the dashi is made from kombu and shiitake[1]
🍂 When people eat it
It’s eaten all year, but as a warm soup of root vegetables it’s especially loved in the cold months[1]