Kanpyō (food)
Kanpyō (かんぴょう or 干瓢), sometimes romanized and pronounced kampyō, are dried shavings of Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida, a variety of calabash gourd. The gourd is known as yugao (夕顔) or fukube (フクベ) in Japanese.[3] Kanpyō is an ingredient in traditional Edo style Japanese cuisine. Cooked and flavored kanpyō is commonly used in futomaki sushi roll.[3]
![]() 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 |
8.58 g | |
Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
Vitamin A | 0 IU |
Thiamine (B1) | 0% 0 mg |
Riboflavin (B2) | 3% 0.044 mg |
Niacin (B3) | 18% 2.9 mg |
Pantothenic acid (B5) | 51% 2.553 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 31% 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 | 22% 280 mg |
Copper | 48% 0.433 mg |
Iron | 28% 5.12 mg |
Magnesium | 30% 125 mg |
Manganese | 49% 1.137 mg |
Phosphorus | 15% 188 mg |
Potassium | 53% 1582 mg |
Selenium | 5% 2.6 μg |
Sodium | 1% 15 mg |
Zinc | 53% 5.86 mg |
Other constituents | Quantity |
Water | 19.97 g |
Alcohol (ethanol) | 0 |
Caffeine | 0 |
Cholesterol | 0 |
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2] |
Kanpyō was originally grown in the Osaka region.[4] Now it is a specialty product of Tochigi Prefecture,[5] where it is a cottage industry.[3] The region is so tied to the food product that it hosts the "Kanpyō Highway with History and Romance".[6] The yuru-chara for Oyama, Tochigi is Kapyomaru (かぴょ丸), an anthropomorphized calabash.[6]
The gourd is harvested between late July and September. The white flesh of the gourd is cut into strips 3 cm wide and 3 mm thick, then either dried in the sun or dehydrated.[7] Over 200 tons a year of dried kanpyō are produced per year.[3] Kanpyō available in the United States is sometimes chemically bleach-dried to a very white color, as opposed to the creamy color of the naturally-dried kind.[5] Sulfur dioxide is sometimes used as a fumigant but must not be used in concentrations exceeding 5.0 g per 1 kg of dry matter.[8]
Dishes featuring kanpyō

In addition to being the focus of many dishes, kanpyō strips are frequently used as an edible twist tie in dishes such as fukusa-zushi and chakin-zushi.[3] Typically the dried strips are boiled to soften, and then boiled a second time with soy sauce, sugar, and other ingredients added for flavor.[3][9]
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- Futomaki[3][9]
- Kanpyō-maki, also called teppo maki ("gun barrel maki") as it looks like the end of a rifle[3]
- Matsukasa sushi ("pinecone sushi"), a roll using squid filet (instead of nori) wrapped around sushi rice, kanpyō, shiitake, snow peas, and whitefish[3]
- Shojin dashijiru, a vegan soup stock[5]

See also
References
- United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Lowry, Dave (2005). The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi: Everything You Need to Know about Sushi Varieties and Accompaniments, Etiquette and Dining Tips, and More. Harvard Common Press. ISBN 9781558323070. OCLC 962114405. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- "Kanpyo Facts and Nutritional Value". 2017-11-27. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
- Homma, Gaku (1991). The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today's World. Translated by Busch, Emily. North Atlantic Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 9781556430985. OCLC 22623869.
- "祝!「歴史とロマンのかんぴょう街道」開通" [Congratulation! "History and romance Kanpyō Highway" opened] (html). Mibu Town Tochigi (in Japanese). 321-0292 栃木県下都賀郡壬生町通町12番22号. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - "かんぴょう" [Kanpyō]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-06-07.
- "食品添加物の指定、使用基準の改正等について" [About designation of food additive, revision of use standard] (html). 厚生労働省 (in Japanese). 20 January 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- Kawasumi, Ken (2001). The Encyclopedia of Sushi Rolls. Translated by Driussi, Laura. Japan Publications Trading. ISBN 9784889960761. OCLC 921930235. Retrieved 3 July 2019.