【Reading】しまずし

【English Name】Shima sushi

A regional dish handed down on Hachijojima island and the Ogasawara Islands of Tokyo, and a type of nigiri-zushi. Seafood such as sea bream, tuna, and bonito is thinly sliced and lightly marinated in a mainly soy-sauce-based sauce to make 'zuke,' then formed over vinegared rice that is strongly sweetened with sugar. In Tokyo, marinated toppings are still called 'zuke' today. A distinctive feature is the use of Japanese mustard paste or island chili pepper instead of wasabi. It is eaten on Setsubun and at ceremonial occasions, and each island shows its own ingenuity.