Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals).

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When you feel like quickly preparing a nice meal with ingredients on hand, reassuring choices are dried foods that also serve as emergency provisions.

Good ways to rehydrate them and keys to cooking them will be introduced in this four-part series.

First comes "fu," or dried gluten. An image of fu quietly floating on miso soup may come to mind but it is an ingredient that can take center stage. Being plain in taste, it takes on a different flavor depending on the stock and seasonings used. Fu is made of wheat flour and is rich in protein.

The interesting aspect of fu is that a wide variety of shapes and textures rooted in the localities have been nurtured.

For this week's recipe, a doughnut-shaped grilled fu called "kuruma-fu" (wheel fu) is used to make an Okinawan stir-fry dish called "fu chanpuru." A simple key is to properly rehydrate the fu before cooking. If you wait until the grilled brown part becomes tender, it will fully absorb the egg liquid and turn out fluffy.

Once spreading the fu in the frying pan, brown slowly over low heat without moving it. The aroma of "nira" (Chinese chive) will stimulate your appetite, and once you have a mouthful of the piping hot fu, its gentle taste will fill your mouth.

Unique ways to produce, cook fu around Japan

The kuruma-fu from Okinawa is big and lightweight. According to Kenichi Tokashiki, a spokesperson for the Ginza Washita Shop main store, which sells food ingredients produced in Okinawa Prefecture, fu is usually stir-fried in Okinawa.

Hiroyuki Shitomi, president of Manto, a wholesaler of dried foods based in Tokyo's Asakusa district, says, "Fu has evolved around Japan as a unique food culture."

The "Shonai-fu" produced in and around Yamagata is first formed into a tube around a rod and grilled. After the rod is withdrawn, the fu is pressed into sheets.

"Abura-fu," also known as "Sendai-fu," is a specialty of Miyagi Prefecture. Since the fu is deep-fried in oil and then dried, it is quite filling.

"Choji-fu," which is made by pouring the dough in a rectangular form, is said to simulate the townscape of the castle town of Omi-Hachiman in Shiga Prefecture.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

(Supervised by Akiko Watanabe in the cooking aspect and Midori Kasai in the cookery science aspect)

* Ingredients (Serves two)

2 to 5 kuruma-fu (20 grams), 2 eggs, 1/2 bunch (50 grams) nira, bit of shaved katsuo (katsuo-kezuri-bushi), 1 Tbsp cooking oil, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/6 tsp salt, bit of pepper, 1 tsp soy sauce

1. Immerse fu in generous amount of water, cover with plate so they do not float and leave for about 30 minutes (PHOTO A). When the brown part of fu has turned soft, squeeze out water (PHOTO B) and tear into 4 to 5 equal parts.

2. Break eggs in bowl and mix. Add salt and pepper, immerse fu and leave for five minutes. Cut nira into lengths of 4 cm.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in frying pan, lay each fu piece after coating with egg. Pour remaining egg in circular motion. Cook over low heat and turn when brown. Remove when both sides are cooked (PHOTO C).

4. Add sesame oil to frying pan, quickly stir-fry nira, sprinkle 1 Tbsp water and cook further and once tender, add fu. Add soy sauce and cook together. Serve on dish and sprinkle shaved katsuo.

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Akiko Watanabe is a cooking expert specializing in Japanese cuisine.

Midori Kasai is a professor at Ochanomizu University and chairwoman of the Japan Society of Cookery Science.

ARRANGED VERSION

(Fu seasoned with mustard)

The simple dish does not require heating. Cut 5 small choji-fu (10 grams) in half, immerse in water, cover with plate to apply weight and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. Finely slice 1/2 cucumber, mix with a pinch of salt. When slices become tender, firmly squeeze out water. Mix 1/3 tsp mustard paste (neri-garashi), 1 Tbsp miso, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 Tbsp vinegar in a bowl to make vinegared miso with mustard. Firmly squeeze out water from choji-fu, add to bowl and mix. Add cucumber, mix and it is ready to be served.

COOKERY SCIENCE

Fu is a product made by extracting gluten, a group of proteins, from wheat flour and processing it. Water is added to wheat flour and kneaded. After the starch is rinsed away repeatedly with water, an elastic lump of gluten remains. When "mochiko" (pulverized sweet rice) or other flour is added, it turns into "nama-fu" (raw fu). If it is deep-fried, it becomes abura-fu and if grilled after flour and puffing agent are added, you get the "yaki-fu" (grilled fu).

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From The Asahi Shimbun’s Gohan Lab column