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.

Bouse no sugatazushi

Tokushima

Oshizushi made with white fish, which is an indispensable dish for autumn festivals

Bouse no sugatazushi

This is a kind of oshizushi which is cooked when the season of autumn festivals comes. The whole fish including the head is so tender and edible by soaking the fish for more than 7 hours in vinegar. Tokushima Prefecture has a long history of sushi which goes back to the Heian Era, as there is a written record of sushi from Awa presented to Imperial court. However, it is after the 19c when the sushi became the dish for festivals like today. Bouse has many names such as ibodai, uboze, and shizu, and is white meat fish with a few bones and little red meat, thus tastes good and mild. The catch of bouse is biggest between August and November.

Recipi of cuisin

for ４ persons

  • bouze８
  • salt1 1/2 teaspoon
  • cups vinegar1.5 cups
  • rice280g
  • water1 and 2/3 cups
  • white sugar3 tablespoon
  • vinegar1 and 1/3 tablespoon
  • yuzu vinegar1 and 1/3 Tablespoon
  • salt1 teaspoon or less
  • MSG0.4g
  • wasabi4g
  • amazu ginger32g
  • sudachi2
1.
Scale bouze, place it with the head on the left-hand side and the back facing towards you, and cut it up on the back side from the tail to head. Cut off the belly bone if you prefer.
2.
Place the head on the right-hand side, cut up the fish along the backbone.
3.
Cut off the backbone, but do not remove the dorsal fin, pectoral fin and tail to keep the fish in good shape.
4.
Remove gills and eyes, and cut off red meat. Then wash thoroughly with running water.
5.
Salt the fish and leave it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (it will taste better if leave it over night)
6.
Wash the fish with vinegar, and soak it in just enough vinegar to cover, and leave it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (add sugar to vinegar if you prefer)
7.
Drain the fish
8.
Wash rice, drain, and soak in water in a rice cooker for 30 minutes in summer and 1 hour in winter.
9.
Mix white sugar, vinegar, yuzu vinegar and MSG (the mixture is called awasezu), mix it with cooked rice and cool it down.
10.
Make an oval rice ball of a size of bouze with 80g rice (put wasabi on it if you prefer), wrap the rice ball with bouze, and press it with a weight. Garnish with a slice of sudachi and amazu ginger.

Information provided by : Tokushima’s Traditional Local Cuisines

Shushi

Local cuisine

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