【Reading】おこしずし

【English Name】Okoshi-zushi

Okoshizushi is a type of pressed sushi that has been made in the Kansai region, centered on Osaka. It is characterized by packing vinegared rice and ingredients into a wooden mold (oshibako) and shaping it by applying pressure from above, and is sometimes called hakozushi (box sushi).

Ingredients often used include shrimp, anago, kelp-cured white fish, and kinshi-tamago (shredded omelet), and it is characterized by a colorful appearance. It is one of the forms of sushi that existed before Edomae nigiri sushi spread, and in some areas it is served at festivals and celebratory occasions.

"Okoshi" is said to refer to the action of taking it out of the mold, and the name is said to come from pushing it out by turning the wooden mold upside down. Known as a leading form of Osaka sushi, it is still served today at long-established sushi shops in the Kansai region.