Giant taro soup stirred by excavator at Japanese festival

Yamagata city officials hosted a traditional taro soup festival, using a massive 6.5-meter diameter pot and an excavator for stirring.

Yamagata city officials hosted Japan's largest taro soup festival on the banks of the Mamigasaki River last week, attracting attention with a giant pot capable of serving 30,000 people, Mainichi reported on 16/9.

The 6.5-meter diameter pot was used to cook 3.2 tons of taro, 1.2 tons of beef, 3,500 leeks, and 4,000 pieces of konjac jelly. The broth was seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and sugar, then mixed with an excavator equipped with a specialized bucket.

This dish, called imoni, is a traditional soup made with taro, meat, leeks, and konjac jelly. It's a popular autumnal dish in Yamagata prefecture, eastern Japan.

An excavator stirs a giant pot of taro soup in Yamagata, Japan, on 14/9. Photo: Yomiuri

An excavator stirs a giant pot of taro soup in Yamagata, Japan, on 14/9. Photo: Yomiuri

According to Mainichi, the extreme heat during this summer affected taro production in Yamagata, forcing officials to source additional taro from across the prefecture for the festival.

"The taro is cooked perfectly, absorbing the delicious flavor of the broth. It's truly delicious," a woman from Sendai said.

Kohei Sato, 40, who brought his family from Tsuruoka city within the prefecture to Yamagata for the event for the first time, said the aroma of the soup filled the riverbank.

"The soup is rich, the taro as soft as butter. Absolutely delicious," Sato said.