【Reading】ますずし

【English Name】Masu-zushi (trout sushi)

Masu-zushi is a representative local dish of Toyama Prefecture, a type of pressed sushi finished by wrapping thin slices of vinegar-treated trout (masu) and vinegared rice in bamboo (sasa) leaves. It is classified as "hayazushi" (quick sushi), which does not undergo a fermentation process.

To make it, sasa leaves are spread radially in a round wooden magemono (bentwood container), and trout that has been salt-cured and then seasoned is arranged on top without gaps. Vinegared rice is then packed in, covered with sasa, and a weight is applied to shape it. It is typically displayed at shops fixed in place with bamboo and rubber bands, and when eating, it is cut radially into wedge shapes along with the sasa and portioned out.

Historically it is rooted in the food culture of the Jinzu River basin, and the anecdote that during the Kyoho era, Toyama clan retainer Shinpachi Yoshimura presented masu-zushi to Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune is widely known. From 1912 it began to be sold as ekiben (station box lunches), raising its profile nationwide.

Originally the raw material was cherry salmon (sakuramasu) ascending the Jinzu River, but with declining catches and rising demand, imported products and trout from Hokkaido are now mainly used. Within Toyama City alone there are about 40 manufacturers, and a characteristic is that each shop differs in individuality, such as in the degree of vinegar and the arrangement of the trout.