【Reading】おもし

【English Name】Weight Stone

Omoshi—this tool, also known by the alternate names "omori" (weight/sinker) and "shizu," is used to hold an object down by harnessing the pressure created by its own weight.

Of particular note in its connection to sushi is the shaping process of pressed sushi. When making battera or box sushi, an omoshi is placed on the top surface after packing shari and toppings into a wooden mold, spreading even force throughout to produce a beautiful form. This procedure is the very technique that can be called the heart of making pressed sushi, and it cannot be done without an omoshi.

In addition, the omoshi comes into play in the preparation of gari (sweet-vinegared ginger) at sushi shops and of various pickles. By applying load from above, moisture inside the material is driven out, while at the same time the contact area with the outside air is narrowed. Materials range from natural river stones to processed products in which a metal core is wrapped in a resin shell, and the rule is to switch the weight according to the item and the progress of the pickling.

In the scene of miso brewing as well, the omoshi is considered essential for promoting fermentation, and it is nothing less than a presence that has fundamentally supported Japan's ancient fermented-food culture.