【Reading】さけのはこずし

【English Name】Salmon Hakozushi (Salmon Pressed Sushi)

Hako-zushi (box sushi) is a form of pressed sushi that achieved distinctive development in the Kansai region, especially Osaka, made by packing vinegared rice and toppings into a wooden mold and pressing them firm. Salmon hako-zushi is a traditional item in which vinegar-cured salmon fillets are neatly layered over vinegared rice and shaped in a wooden frame.

Hako-zushi has a long history; a description of box sushi using vinegar can be confirmed in the cookbook "Ryori Komoku Chomisho" published in 1728. Before nigirizushi flourished in Edo, hako-zushi held a place as a representative form of sushi in Kansai, on par with saba-zushi (mackerel sushi). Triggered by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, nigirizushi spread nationwide and broadened its support in Kansai as well, but hako-zushi is still firmly loved as a dish that embodies Osaka's sushi culture.

For salmon hako-zushi, thinly sliced salmon is pre-treated with salt and vinegar, then layered alternately with vinegared rice in a wooden mold and pressed. The cut cross-sections form beautiful layers, producing a refined appearance. A feature compared with nigirizushi is that the flavor unifies the longer it sits, and it is also widely favored as ekiben (station lunch boxes) and souvenirs.