【Reading】しおびきずし

【English Name】Shiobiki-zushi (Salt-cured Salmon Pressed Sushi)

Shiobiki-zushi is a type of pressed sushi (oshizushi) originating in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, in which salt-cured salmon (shiobiki-zake) is layered over vinegared rice and shaped in a wooden mold as a regional specialty.

Yonezawa lies in a basin surrounded by mountains, and before transport networks were developed, opportunities to obtain fresh seafood were limited. As a result, preserved seafood such as salt-cured and dried fish was valued as everyday fare, and salt-cured salmon came to be widely enjoyed within this food culture.

The dish's most striking feature is the red of the salmon flesh combined with the white of the vinegared rice, forming an auspicious red-and-white (kohaku) color scheme. Because of this lucky coloring, it has long been handed down as an indispensable dish for celebratory occasions such as weddings.

In preparation, the key is to freeze the salt-cured salmon once and then slice it thinly to about 2 mm while half-thawed. Because the salmon itself is well salted, it is generally eaten as is, without soy sauce.

Although it was made less often for a time after World War II, it has recently regained attention and is now handled at local restaurants, sushi shops, and supermarkets.