【Reading】さばのぼうずし

【English Name】Pressed Mackerel Sushi (Saba Bōzushi)

A local sushi in which vinegar-cured mackerel and vinegared rice are shaped into a bar form, it is enjoyed in various regions such as Kyoto, Wakasa (Fukui Prefecture), Okayama, Hiroshima, and Kochi. In Kyoto it has long been handmade at home during festivals and celebrations. The wisdom of our predecessors, who salt-cured true mackerel caught in Wakasa Bay and carried it over the roughly 80 km "Saba Kaido" (Mackerel Road) to Kyoto, is conveyed to this day. In Kyoto, the traditional method is to vinegar-cure salted mackerel, wrap it in bamboo sheath, and store it at room temperature. In Osaka it is called battera, and in Okayama the shape differs by region, such as head-on whole-fish sushi and pressed sushi. In recent years, new styles such as the "toro saba bo-zushi" using winter mackerel from Tohoku have also been born, and tradition and innovation coexist.