Saga

From head to tail, there is no wastage for this historically significant ingredient

Kujira cuisine

Eaten since days of yore as a good source of protein. The city of Karatsu has a history of doing well owing to whaling back in the Edo and Meiji eras. Former whaling stations remain standing in the city, and people still sing songs about whalers. This heritage can be seen in the local cuisine too which features whales in the form of sashimi, deep fried and ‘yamato’ stew. There is also the fast food ‘whale cutlet’ and event the Matsuura pickle which is pickled whale cartilage.