【Reading】のどぐろのぼうずし/まつりずし

【English Name】Nodoguro stick sushi

Nodoguro no bo-zushi (blackthroat seaperch stick sushi) is a type of pressed sushi using blackthroat seaperch (akamutsu, also known as nodoguro), and it is widely eaten mainly in regions along the Sea of Japan. The basic method is to shape vinegared rice into a stick form and layer vinegar-cured or seared nodoguro meat on top, finishing it with a wooden mold or a rolling mat (makisu). Nodoguro has good fat content and a characteristic that its flesh does not easily harden even when heated, so it is said to pair well with stick sushi.

On the other hand, matsuri-zushi (festival sushi) is a general term for sushi served at regional festivals and celebratory occasions, and its form differs by region, such as Okayama Prefecture's bara-zushi and the oshi-zushi (pressed sushi) and hako-zushi (box sushi) of various places. There are chirashi-zushi types scattered with gorgeously colored ingredients and oshi-zushi types pressed firm in a wooden mold, and they have been continuously inherited as the food culture of special (hare) days.

Nodoguro no bo-zushi is adopted for ekiben (station bento) and souvenirs as a specialty of the Sea of Japan coast, including Ishikawa, Toyama, and Shimane Prefectures, and is counted among the sushi that symbolize regional food culture. Likewise, matsuri-zushi is deeply tied to the climate and festivals of various regions and has been handed down to this day as the taste of homes and communities.