【Reading】はたはたずし

【English Name】Hatahata Narezushi (Fermented Sailfin Sandfish Sushi)

Hatahata-zushi is a fermented food classified as narezushi passed down in the Sea of Japan coastal regions centered on Akita Prefecture. It is a traditional preserved food made by pickling sailfin sandfish (hatahata; scientific name: Arctoscopus japonicus) together with cooked rice and koji and finishing it through lactic acid fermentation, handed down through the generations as a precious protein source in the snowbound winter.

As a method, the basic process is to layer salt-cured hatahata alternately with cooked rice, vegetables, koji, and so on in a tub, place a weight on top, and ferment it over several weeks to several months. When eaten, it is taken out, cut into pieces, and served with julienned vegetables in the standard style.

In Akita Prefecture, the spawning-season hatahata that surge to the coast in November and December are called "seasonal hatahata," and a major feature is that individuals bearing eggs (buriko) are pickled whole. Meanwhile, Tottori Prefecture has a variant called "shirohata-zushi," made by combining hatahata that has been salt-cured and then steeped in sweet vinegar with okara (soy pulp) dressed in vinegar. There is a custom of serving it as a ceremonial dish at the Karo Daimyojin spring festival in April.

In recent years the catch of hatahata has declined markedly, and securing raw materials has emerged as a major problem, with Akita Prefecture's landings in fiscal 2024 reaching a record low of only about 17 tons.