【Reading】はたはたずし

【English Name】Hatahata Sushi (Sailfin Sandfish Narezushi)

Hatahata-zushi is a representative narezushi of Akita Prefecture, a traditional preserved food in which salt-cured sailfin sandfish (hatahata) is layered in a barrel with cooked rice, koji and chopped vegetables, weighted down, and fermented for several weeks to several months. It has been prepared in each household as a protein source sustaining winter along the Sea of Japan coast. It features deep fermented umami and a moderate acidity, pairing well with sake. Because it uses hatahata that surge toward the coast during the November-December spawning season, it has become a seasonal feature of winter. In Tottori Prefecture there is a similar spring festival food called shirohata-zushi, made with sweet-vinegared hatahata and vinegar-flavored okara (soy pulp). In recent years, securing raw materials amid declining catches has become a challenge.