【Reading】はも

【English Name】Pike Conger

Hamo (daggertooth pike conger) is a large predatory fish of the family Muraenesocidae of the order Anguilliformes, inhabiting the temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. In Japan it is distributed along the coasts south of central Honshu; its body length is usually around 1 m, with some individuals reaching a maximum of 2.2 m. It has no scales and is characterized by a brownish body with a white belly. Deeply tied to the food culture of Kyoto and Osaka, it is known as a summer delicacy of the Gion Matsuri and the Tenjin Matsuri. Because of its strong vitality, it could be transported alive from Osaka Bay and the Akashi Strait to Kyoto, which is said to be the background for its establishment in Kyoto cuisine. The heart of its preparation is honekiri (bone-cutting), a technique of finely severing its hard, numerous small bones while leaving the skin intact. Twenty-six cuts per sun (about 3 cm) is said to be the standard for an expert. After bone-cutting, when blanched in hot water (yubiki) the flesh blooms open like a flower, and the standard way to eat it is with plum paste (bainiku) or karashi su-miso (mustard vinegar miso). It has a wide range of uses, including hamo-zushi, tempura, and clear soup. Because its blood contains ichthyotoxin, heating is essential.