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  6. Kaiso Yose (Seaweed Yose)

Kaiso Yose (Seaweed Yose) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Ibaraki Prefecture

    Kaiso Yose (Seaweed Yose)

Kaiso Yose (Seaweed Yose)

＊画像はイメージです（掲載画像とレシピの内容は異なる場合があります）。
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  • recipe image

    Image source: Fisheries Experimental Station of Ibaraki-Ken

  • recipe image

    Image source: Fisheries Experimental Station of Ibaraki-Ken

  • recipe image

    Image source: Dietary Improvement Promotion Council of Ibaraki-Ken

  • Main lore areas

    Kashima City, Namekata City

  • Main ingredients used

    Seaweed, Soy Sauce

  • History/origin/related events

    "Kaiso Yose(=Seaweed yose)" is a local dish eaten along the Kashima coast, extending from Kashima in Ibaraki Prefecture to Choshi in Chiba Prefecture. One of these is kotojitsunomata and tsunomata, which are the main ingredients of "Kaiso Yose(=Seaweed yose)".
    The Katsuraura coast is blessed with various marine delicacies because it is a convergence point where the Kuroshio Current and Oyashio Current collide. Choshi Port boasts the highest volume of catches in Japan, and in addition to fish, you can also catch an abundance of seaweed. "Kotojitsunomata" is a 20-cm-tall seaweed that attaches to rocks in the intertidal zone.
    It is said to be named after the shape of its branches, which resemble the pegs that support the strings of a koto, a traditional Japanese musical instrument. Taking advantage of its property to thicken when heated and solidify when cooled, it was historically used as soap and adhesive. At the end of the year, merchants from Choshi came to sell "kotojitsunomata" for New Year's, and "seaweed yose" came to be made into Osechi dishes.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    In the southeastern Rokkou region (the name originates from the combination of "ka" from Kashima District and "gyo" from Namekata District), "Kaiso Yose(=Seaweed yose)" is an essential dish during the New Year.　　Its refreshing flavor makes it a popular palate cleanser during the rich and flavorful New Year's Osechi cuisine, providing a contrast to the intense tastes of other dishes.

  • How to eat

    After thoroughly washing and removing dirt from the "kotojitsunomata", place it in boiling water and cook until it thickens. Pour it into molds after the mixture has thickened, pour it into molds, cool, and cut into bite-size pieces.
    It has a refreshing flavor that allows you to fully enjoy the aroma of the sea, it is often eaten with soy sauce along with bonito flakes, green onions, and chili pepper on top. As an arrangement of "Kaiso Yose(=Seaweed yose)", you can enjoy different flavors and textures by incorporating finely chopped carrots and burdock, adding firmness to the dish.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Overview of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation groups, use of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
    In the Rokkou region, even today, many households continue the tradition of preparing "Kaiso Yose(=Seaweed yose)" as part of their New Year's Osechi cuisine as the year-end approaches.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Seaweed(kotojitsunomata) 400g
  • Water 300cc
  • Soy Sauce 80g

How to cook

  • 1. Wash Seaweed to remove any foreign materials and soak it overnight in a quantity of water.

  • 2. Place them in a pot and simmer until they become tender and sticky

  • 3. Pour the mixture into a mold, let it cool, and allow it to set

  • 4. Cut into pieces and eat with soy sauce, or shichimi, wasabi, or ginger soy sauce to taste.

provider : A Taste of Ibaraki: A Menu of Local Dishes, Shoku, Saisai, Hyakkei (Cooperation: Ibaraki Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promoters Council)

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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