The Aso valley sits at around five hundred meters and stays cool through all four seasons. The Aso takana grown there is small, with thin, tender stems and a distinct sharpness to it, which is credited to the volcanic soil as much as to the altitude.

Pickled takana comes in two forms. Shinzuke has been in the barrel only a few days. Furuzuke has been in it a long time, and gone sour and dark. This dish uses the old one, which is the one that needs using up.

The method is quick. Scrambled egg is made first and set aside. The pickle is chopped fine and fried in oil, then the egg and the rice go in and everything is fried together.

Sesame, salt, and soy sauce season it, though the salt already in the pickle is often enough on its own. It was turned into a product at a roadside restaurant called Asoji, near a station on the Hoihi line, which opened in March 1968. One of the brothers running it suggested selling what their mother used to cook for them at home. The account also has it served, further back, to a railway minister inspecting the line up to Miyaji station, alongside simmered vegetables and dumpling soup. Along the highway now it comes with dango soup as a set, at place after place.