【Reading】もろこばこずし/もろこのおしずし

【English Name】Moroko sushi

Moroko-zushi is a kind of local sushi handed down in the Owari area of Aichi Prefecture and the Seino area of Gifu Prefecture; it is box sushi (pressed sushi) using the small freshwater fish "moroko." In the watery delta region along the Kiso Three Rivers (Kiso River, Nagara River, and Ibi River), where moroko were once caught in abundance, it is said to have already been eaten in the Edo period.

The way of making it is to simmer moroko of about 10 cm in length sweet-and-salty with soy sauce, sugar, sake, mirin, and the like, then pack sushi rice into a wooden mold, arrange the moroko diagonally on top, and apply pressure with a pressing lid. Haran (aspidistra) leaves are laid between the wooden mold and the sushi rice, serving to prevent sticking and to provide a sterilizing effect. Arranging the ingredients diagonally is a feature common to Owari box sushi, said to be a device so that everyone can enjoy an equal share of the topping when the sushi is cut and divided.

Moroko-zushi has been cherished as a hospitality dish for "hare no hi" (special days) such as festivals, New Year's, and memorial-service gifts. In recent years, the catch of moroko has declined due to changes in water quality and the like, making it a high-grade ingredient even among river fish. Although fewer households now own wooden molds, it can be purchased at long-established Japanese restaurants and roadside stations (michi-no-eki).