【Reading】べっこうずし

【English Name】Bekko sushi

Bekko-zushi is a kind of local sushi long handed down in the Izu Islands (Tokyo). It is nigiri sushi finished by soaking slices of white fish in a marinade made by combining soy sauce as a base with island chili pepper (shima-togarashi). During the marinating process, the fish flesh changes to an amber color, and because that appearance resembles the hue of bekko (tortoiseshell), a craft material made from the shell of the hawksbill turtle, this name is said to have become established.

Because wasabi is difficult to cultivate in the remote-island environment, a major characteristic is that prepared mustard (karashi) is used as a condiment. There is a tendency to use a blended vinegar with a strongly emphasized sweetness for the vinegared rice. The fish used are mainly locally caught species landed on the islands, such as Japanese butterfish (medai) and striped jack (shima-aji), and the lineup changes depending on the fishing situation and season.

Also widely known as "shima-zushi" (island sushi), it is a dish long loved on the various islands of the Izu Islands, foremost among them Hachijojima. Incidentally, its existence as a homophonous local food is also mentioned in encyclopedia entries explaining bekko (tortoiseshell).