【Reading】えぞまえ

【English Name】Ezo-mae

Ezomae is a name for sushi based primarily on seafood from Hokkaido, used as a counterpart to "Edomae."

The word "Ezo" was once read "Emishi," and from the time of the Yamato court it was used to indicate the people and regions living to the north of Tohoku. The reading "Ezo" is thought to have spread only after the 11th–12th centuries. In Meiji 2 (1869), the explorer Matsuura Takeshiro submitted several renaming proposals to the government, and based on the "Hokkaido" (北加伊道) proposal among them, the name "Hokkaido" (Hokkaido) was adopted.

Whereas Edomae sushi emphasizes preliminary treatment called "shigoto"—such as vinegar-curing, nikiri, and kombu-curing—Ezomae is characterized by a way of forming nigiri that makes use of the freshness of the topping as is. Representative Hokkaido marine products such as sea urchin (uni), salmon roe (ikura), scallop (hotate), crab (kani), and salmon (sake) become the central toppings.

The word "Ezomae" is a relatively new expression and did not take root long ago as a traditional sushi term. Against the background of Hokkaido's abundant fishery resources, it can be seen as a name that arose naturally from the contrast with Edomae.