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Izushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Hokkaido Prefecture

    Izushi

Izushi

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    Image source: Ishikari City Government Planning and Economy Department Commerce, labour and tourism division

  • Main lore areas

    All of Hokkaido Prefecture

  • Main ingredients used

    Herring, atka mackerel, salmon, rice, cabbage, carrot, daikon radish, ginger

  • History/origin/related events

    "Izushi" is sushi made by lactic acid fermentation in low temperature with fish, vegetables and Rice koji (=malted rice). It is a local dish handed down in the coast area from Hokkaido to Tohoku region, known with low temperature. It is said that the origin is from a meal cooked in fishery family when they have first snow in the season. The recipe is different from the region.
    Various kinds of fish from Hokkaido, like atka mackerel, salmon, hatahata(=sandfish), herring or pacific saury, are used in "Izushi". Especially atka mackerel is popular due to its reasonable price and stable supply. Along the seacoast of Hokkaido, Lots of atka mackerel is caught in the spring, when they gather to feed, and around fall, when they gather to spawn.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    ‘Izushi’, fermented with low temperature, was made from the late autumn until the early winter, and rooted in the region as a traditional preservative food in winter. Every family used to make ‘Izushi’, and during the new year season, people often ate one made in the late autumn. In addition, it is often served in the family gatherings.

  • How to eat

    Mix rice cooled after hard-cooked, fresh fish, vegetables and malted rice. Then put everything into a barrel. Put a stone weight on the covered barrel to let ingredients fermented. You need to rid of salt when you prepare salted fresh fish. The skill of removing salt is vital process for the taste of the sushi. If you remove salt too much, it will be tasteless and cannot be preserved, whereas it would be too salty when you keep salt too much.
    It has mild smell compared with other ‘Narezushi’ (fermented sushi) due to short fermentation in the low temperature. Also, it has good balance of sweetness from rice and sourness from lactic acid, which makes the dish popular as a meal and an appetizer.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)
    Every family used to make own ‘Izushi’ as a new year dish. However, an increasing number of people buy one at the supermarket and they seldom make the sushi in these days. Considering these trends, many groups have been passing on the recipes and the food culture to inherit ‘Izushi’ culture.

RECIPE

Ingredients (for 1 barrel)

  • Hatahata(=sandfish) (small) 0.6kg
  • Daikon radish 0.25kg
  • Carrot 25g
  • Ginger 10g
  • Malted rice 5g
  • Cooked rice 20g
  • Salt 10g
  • Sugar A little
  • Sake 20cc
  • Vinegar 120cc
  • Bamboo leaf As needed

How to cook

  • 1. Clean hatahata(=sandfish) with changing water many times. Simmer the fish into the 5-times diluted vinegar for a day. Put into a strainer to remove liquid.

  • 2. Julienne daikon radish, carrot and ginger.

  • 3. Clean a barrel, and sprinkle sake inside the barrel.

  • 4. Cover inside of the barrel with bamboo leaves. Put daikon radish and carrot. Sprinkle salt and sugar. Place sandfish, and put ginger, malted rice and cooked rice. Repeat this process without making and gap inside.

  • 5. Put the stone weight on the 4. Leave the barrel in the dark and cool place. Drain liquid when the ingredients are pickled. Leave about 40days with the twice amount of the ingredients.

provider : Ms. Mutsuko Yamagiwa from Hokkaido Bunkyo University

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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