Tottori Prefecture
Kakinoha zushi

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Image Source : Tottori Prefecture
- Main lore areas
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Chigashira Town
- Main ingredients used
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rice, salted trout, persimmon leaves
- History/origin/related events
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Kakinoha Sushi" is a local dish that has been handed down in Chigashira Town, Tottori Prefecture since ancient times, and is loved by the townspeople as a dish for entertaining at Bon festivals and Bon holidays. In Chigashira Town, which is far from the sea, "Kakinoha Sushi" was devised as a way to eat fish without allowing it to spoil. The tannin contained in persimmon leaves has antiseptic properties, preventing salt trout from being damaged. In the old days, farmers always had a persimmon tree or two in their yards. We can glimpse the wisdom of our ancestors who knew that its leaves had various effects.
- Opportunities and times of eating habits
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It is said that in the olden days, it was prepared in every household as a meal for festivals, New Year's, hospitality for guests, and other occasions of Hare (festive) occasions. It becomes even more colorful when served on leaves that have turned red and yellow during the season of autumn. It is a taste of autumn and a different way to enjoy "Kakinoha Sushi".
- How to eat
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The preparation is quite simple. Thinly sliced salted trout is soaked in vinegar water to soak up the flavor. The rice is then placed on a persimmon leaf, and the salt trout is topped with sansho nuts. The pink color of the salted trout contrasts with the green of the persimmon leaves, creating a colorful contrast. The moment you put it in your mouth, the aroma of the sansho (Japanese pepper) on top of the salted trout fills your mouth with the flavor of vinegar, enhancing the deliciousness of the salted trout. The small sansho peppercorns add an accent to the flavor and stimulate the appetite.
- Efforts for Preservation and Succession
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The "Nagi Local Products Development Study Group" was established to prevent this local dish from becoming obsolete, as it is rarely made at home. The group, which was established in 1987, was formed by residents of the Nagi area, mainly farmers, and began activities in order to encourage more people to eat it. The group also holds cooking classes and teaches recipes to elementary school students. The restaurant was selected as one of the "100 Tottori Delicacies Selected by Residents of Tottori Prefecture.