【Reading】いいずし/いずし

【English Name】Iizushi / Izushi

A type of "narezushi" made mainly in cold regions from Hokkaido through Tohoku and Hokuriku. Seafood such as sandfish (hatahata), salmon, herring (nishin), saury (sanma), atka mackerel (hokke), and flounder (karei) is mixed and pickled with vegetables such as cabbage, daikon radish, carrot, ginger, cucumber, and Japanese pepper (sansho), along with white rice, and fermented. Because the cold climate is utilized, fermentation proceeds moderately without spoilage. Since the pickling period is shorter than that of other narezushi, the aroma is mild, and the taste has the sweetness of rice without strong acidity. Besides Hokkaido, there are hatahatazushi of Akita, nezushi of Hida, and murasakizushi of Hiroshima.