Houtou
It's a local dish of Yamanashi prefecture in Japan, surrounded by high mountains including Mt. Fuji. That's where my father was born and grew up. During our first Japan visit together, we were in the prefecture. We stayed at an excellent hotel near beautiful Lake Kawaguchi, climbed up Mt. Fuji and visited magnificent Lake Motosu. And we enjoyed Houtou lunch there. Recently my friends came back from Japan and brought to us a Kabocha-Houtou kit, including thick flat noodles and Miso paste for soup. How sweet!! In Houtou, you can add any kinds of vegetables but a popular vegetable, especially during fall is Kabocha, Japanese pumpkin. Luckily I had some frozen Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin). I also added carrot, mushroom, and scallion. This steamy noodle and vegetable bowl made us want to go back to Japan! Hopefully someday soon.
