【Reading】ばらずし

【English Name】Bara-zushi

Barazushi is a type of sushi made by mixing various ingredients into vinegared rice. Unlike "chirashi-zushi," which scatters the ingredients on top, it is characterized by mixing the ingredients into the vinegared rice itself.

Representative production areas are known to be Okayama Prefecture, the Tango region of Kyoto Prefecture, and Tokushima Prefecture, each handing down its own ingredients and methods.

Okayama Barazushi
When the Okayama domain lord Ikeda Mitsumasa, during the Edo period, ordered "one soup, one side dish" as a frugality edict, common people are said to have devised the idea of mixing seafood and vegetables into the rice—this is said to be its beginning. In addition to Seto Inland Sea seafood such as Spanish mackerel (sawara), anago, mogai (ark shell), and shrimp, vegetables such as bamboo shoots and burdock are also used. The traditional style is to serve it in a tub-shaped hangiri (rice-cooling tub), and it is offered at festivals and celebratory gatherings.

Tango Barazushi
A local dish handed down in the Tango region of northern Kyoto Prefecture, its major feature is the use of grilled mackerel flaked into a floss-like (oboro) state. Vinegared rice and ingredients are layered in a shallow wooden box called a "matsubuta" to finish. In 2018 it was certified as a component cultural property of the Japan Heritage "Tango Chirimen Kairo" (Tango Crepe Corridor).

Tokushima Barazushi
It is characterized by adding kintoki beans simmered sweet with soy sauce and sugar. In Tokushima, where the soil made rice hard to grow, it is said to have been born from the wisdom of mixing in many ingredients to supplement the quantity. Depending on the area it is also called "kakimaze," "mazekuri," or "osumoji," and it is often flavored with citrus vinegar from yuzu or sudachi.