The history, culture, and lifestyles of the area are mixed and condensed in one plate of a local dish that has been passed for generations in mountain and fishing villages throughout Japan. We will introduce various unknown local dishes, also known as the soul food of the Japanese people.

Meharizushi

Wakayama

Traditional Sushi you eat with your mouth surprisingly wide-open?

Meharizushi

This is a kind of traditional sushi wrapped in pickled takana leaves. It was originally made for bento (a packed meal for lunch) for people who work in mountains and farms. There are different stories for its origin of the name, and one says that Meharizushi, came from the way “a person staring the other (mewohiharu) eating the sushi with a mouth surprisingly wide-open” and the other says that the sushi is “surprisingly good that keeps your eyes widely open (mewohiharu).” Back in that time it was made big for a quick lunch, but it is made in smaller pieces so people can eat easily today. It has become a very famous souvenir and ekiben (a packed train lunch), and sometimes sold at a national food fair at department stores.

Recipi of cuisin

for 1 persons

  • rice180cc
  • salt-pickled takana leave (frozen)1/2
  • sake3 tablespoon
  • usukuchishoyu1 tablespoon
  • mirin1 tablespoon
1.
Put sake and mirin in a pot, and heat it on high heat to a boil. Add usukuchishoyu and heat it again to a boil. Take off heat and cool it down.
2.
Soak takana leave in running water for about 10 minutes to desalt. Squeeze out water, spread and marinate in the cooled sauce, and keep in the fridge for one day.
3.
Cut off the core and edge of takana leave and cut into halves.
4.
Make 2 rice balls with warm rice, pour the sauce on them (1 tablespoon on each rice ball), and wrap the rice balls with takana leave and pour the sauce again on them (1 tablespoon for each).

Information provided by : 100 Selections of traditional local cuisines of farms and fishery

Shushi

Local cuisine

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