【Reading】おがぶりこ

【English Name】Buriko (Hatahata Roe)

Oga buriko is a dialect word meaning the eggs of the sailfin sandfish (hatahata), which Akita Prefecture has designated as its prefectural fish; it is a food symbolic of Akita that even appears in the folk song "Akita Ondo."

During the spawning season, females store eggs 2 to 3 mm in diameter densely within their bodies. The egg masses are wrapped in mucus, and their colors - red, brown, green, and yellow - differ from individual to individual. When you bite into a fresh, whole-grilled hatahata, the grains pop lightly at the tip of the teeth, releasing concentrated umami. In salt-cured products or miso-pickled versions, the outer skin turns rubbery, and a distinctive springing sound of "buri-buri" arises with each bite. This popping sound is said to be the origin of the name.

Other theories about the word's origin survive as well. There is the theory that the character "furiko" (un-separating child) was applied because the eggs do not separate from one another due to the mucus, and the theory that it arose from a story in the Edo period in which someone caught with prohibited eggs made the excuse, "These are yellowtail (buri) eggs."

In Akita and Aomori Prefectures, the catching, possession, and sale of buriko are subject to regulation, and a patrol system by fisheries cooperatives and police is in place to prevent poaching. The fishing season is November to December, when buriko is caught along with the hatahata that come ashore to spawn.