“Chanko”: Gastronomy in the book. [Chikarabito no Sekai (World of Sumo Wrestler) by The 33rd Kimura Shonosuke.]

Sumo is the national sport of Japan. A rikishi (力士: sumo wrestler) has to be strong to be considered worthy. At the same time, they are required to have dignity. It is a troublesome sport.

“力士の世界” 33代木村庄之助著　角川ソフィア文庫

Chikarabito no Sekai (World of Sumo Wrestler) by The 33rd Kimura Shonosuke.

This is written by 33rd Kimura-Shonosuke who retired in 2007. This book is a great guide to the world of sumo. In this book, there is a description of cuisine, or “Chanko”, in the world of sumo, and I would like to introduce it.

 “The taste of Chanko varies by sumo stable.”

 The word “Chanko” is now used in everyday life as a general term, but originally it was a generic term for any dish prepared or eaten by rikishi (sumo wrestler). So, whether it is sashimi or fried food, if a sumo wrestler eats it, it is all “Chanko”.

The Japan Sumo Association’s direct sales site sells “Chanko nabe”, but it also sells curry, hash, yakitori, and more.

https://chokuhan.sumo.or.jp

“Chanko” is still a term used in sumo stables to refer to cooking in general, but most people generally think of it as a one-pot dish.

We eat “Chanko” after practice, around 10 to 11 a.m. and in the evening.

As a rule, sumo stables serve two meals a day.

According to an article by Arikawa et al. in 1975, Chanko focuses on lunch, both in terms of the quality and quantity of the meal. It is mainly a hot pot meal. In other words, the so-called “feast” is served at lunch. In comparison, the menu for dinner is quite simple, and aside from the quantity (which is much larger than that of a typical meal), the content is about the same as that of a typical breakfast. In addition, the top-ranking person in the ranking order eats first, and then the bottom-ranking person. The average eating time is 20 to 30 minutes per person. The cooking method is extremely clean and simple. The meat, fish, and vegetables used in “Chanko-nabe” are cut very roughly.

Tomoko Arikawa, Minoru Hanata. Nutritional Survey on Sumo Wrestlers Diet: Jap. J. Nutr., 33 (5) 241. 250 (1975)

In other words, “Chanko” must be served very efficiently to ensure that a large number of people can eat a large amount of food in a short period of time. It is also important to be able to cook quickly. This is because it is the lower ranks of the ranks, the “Sandanme (三段目)” and below, who do the cooking. Even though they are lower ranks, they still have to train, do various chores, and take care of the personal needs of the higher ranks. This coincides with an anecdote about the “Dewanoumi” stable, which is known as the birthplace of the “Chanko-nabe”. At the time, the stable’s yokozuna, “Hitachiyama”, was very popular, which led to a sudden increase in the number of new disciples. To cope with the sudden increase in the number of apprentices, the “Dewanoumi” stable used a lot of one-pot dishes to feed a large number of people at once. There is a famous story that this was the origin of “Chanko-nabe”. However, there is no mention of this on the official website of the stable.

https://www.dewanoumi.net/top.html

The menu and seasoning of “Chanko” differs depending on the sumo stable.

In the “Takasago” stable, “Soppu-taki” was a favorite dish. It is chicken cooked in water.

By the way, a skinny sumo wrestler is called “そっぷ: Soppu” in the sumo world. A full-figured wrestler is called “Anko” or “Ankou”.

“Soppu” means soup in Dutch, and some books say that the word “Soppu” came to mean a sumo wrestler who is as thin as chicken bones in soup.

The word “Ankou” comes from the belly of the fish angler.

Many people think that a “Chanko-nabe” hot pot contains a variety of ingredients, but in fact, they don’t mix ingredients, only chicken for chicken, fish for fish, pork for pork, and never more than two ingredients.

Traditionally, the ingredients for “Chanko-nabe”, the most important source of protein for sumo wrestlers, are chicken and fish. Quadrupeds put their hands on the ground. For a sumo wrestler, this means a loss. Therefore, pork and beef were not eaten in the sumo stables for good luck. Not only the “Takasago” stables, but also many other stables ate “Soppu-nabe” on the day before or on the first day of the tournament (本場所) for good luck.

I tried to find out about the differences in seasoning of “Chanko-nabe” between different sumo stables, but I couldn’t figure it out. A sumo stable is like a home to a sumo wrestler. So, it is natural that the seasoning of “Chanko” varies from stable to stable, just as the subtle seasoning of home cooking varies from house to house. Therefore, the only way to taste the subtle differences in seasoning is to actually visit a sumo stable and eat the “Chanko” dishes with the sumo wrestlers. However, it is often said that unlike most hot pot dishes, it is characterized by its strong seasoning. There may be many reasons for this, such as to eat more white rice, or to sweat more during training, but in reality, I think the seasoning is thicker because it is made in a rough and unrefined way.

“The Chanko-ban is the treasure of the sumo stable.” 

Rikishi (sumo wrestler) build their bodies by eating “Chanko”.

Some people may think that “Chanko” is a fattening meal, but it is not. According to the research paper mentioned above, there is an overwhelming imbalance between energy consumption and intake. Except for morning practice, there is no intense physical activity. His basal metabolism is probably higher than that of the average person, but he is in a state of overconsumption. In short, the lifestyle of a rikishi (sumo wrestler) is the lifestyle that leads to obesity. However, there are those that grow large with relative efficiency and those that do not. There are many anecdotes of great rikishi who have experienced the hardships of worrying about not getting big enough compared to their rivals. Except for the morning practice, there is no intense physical activity. His basal metabolism is probably higher than that of the average person, but he is clearly in a state of excessive energy intake.

The rikishi of the “Sandanme” rank and below are divided into groups and take turns cooking. The person in charge of cooking “Chanko” is called “Chanko-ban”. The leader of the team is called the “Chanko-cho”. When a rikishi (sumo wrestler) rises to the “Makushita” rank, he becomes a graduate “Chanko-ban”.

The “Sandanme” is the third from the bottom in the rank. In the “Sumo Kagami (Handbook)” published in 1911, it is written that a new apprentice must be under the care of his seniors or oyakata until he reaches the “Sandanme” rank, except during training. When they reach the “Sandanme” rank, they are called “rikishi (sumo wrestlers)”. When a sumo wrestler reaches the rank of “Juryo”, he is called “Sekitori (関取)”. Thus, “Sandanme” and “Juryo” are major milestones for rikishi.

相撲鑑　杉浦善三編　出版者昇進堂　出版年月日M44.1. DOI: 10.11501/860297 

○番付 (Ranking list)

Comparing the sumo wrestlers with the shortest time to be promoted to “Makushita” with the longest, the average time for the shortest group was eight places, while the average time for the longest group was 84 places. This is more than a tenfold difference in length. Those who rise quickly in the ranks graduate from “Chanko-ban” in about a year and a half. Most of them learn how to prepare “Chanko” dishes. On the other hand, those who come late in their career have been making “Chanko” dishes for 14 years. They are almost professional cooks.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/幕内#スピード入幕記録

There is a joke that says, A good cook can’t get ahead.

“How sumo wrestler gain weight.”

There is an expression , the taste of “Chanko” is soaked in.

It means to train, learn all about the world of sumo, and become a sumo wrestler mentally and physically.

When a wrestler joins a stable, practices with the stable-master and other senior wrestlers, eats “Chanko” day in and day out, and becomes completely accustomed to the taste, he finally begins to look like a wrestler.

Very profound. These words are rich in meaning. However, from a practical point of view, it is clear that “soaking up the taste of Chanko” does not equal “becoming stronger (i.e., getting ahead in Sumo ranking).