![[Official] Kesennuma Tourism Information Site | Kesennuma Saite Kerain](https://kesennuma-kanko.jp/en/wp-content/themes/kesennuma-kanko.jp/img/logo-late2018.svg){kind=logo}
In this corner, we invite local residents of Kesennuma to appear as teachers and teach us about Kesennuma's culture, food, customs, and more!
The teacher this time is a familiar face from the "Teach Me Teacher XX!" corner.Rias Ark Museum of Art" I am Masamitsu Kayaoka, a curator in charge of historical and folklore materials at the Museum. Thank you for your support!
The theme this time is ...
Hello everyone! My name is Masamitsu Kayaoka and I am a curator at the Rias Ark Museum of Art in Kesennuma. I have been invited to "Teach Me, Professor XX!" again this year. I will be introducing the charms of the history and culture of the Kesennuma region in several parts, so please look forward to it.
Well, the theme this time is "Katsuo food culture." I've covered bonito in previous articles, but this time I'll dig deeper. Please read to the end!
How bonito flakes are made
Kesennuma has been a bonito fishing area since ancient times, and there are a wide variety of bonito products made in this area. Among these, bonito flakes are particularly important from a historical and cultural perspective. There are many different types and ways of classifying bonito flakes, but here we will take a quick look at how bonito flakes with mold on the surface (hereafter referred to as "karebushi") are made.
(Interview cooperation:Maruyama Co., Ltd.）
1. Namakiri
Cut off the head of the bonito and remove the innards, then remove the fins and fillet the fish.
The filleted fish is carefully arranged in a boiling basket.
2. Shajuku
The stacked baskets containing the filleted fish are boiled in a pot. It takes about an hour in 95 degree water. However, the temperature and time can be adjusted according to the situation. Experience is required to judge the temperature of the water.
3. Boning
The boiled bonito is deboned. Taking care not to break the flesh, unnecessary parts such as bones, skin and fat are carefully removed by hand, and then washed.
4. Roasting
A fire is lit inside the pot, and the bonito is lined up in a box called a "seiro" and smoked. The roasting and drying process is repeated many times, slowly removing the moisture from the bonito. The bonito that has become hard after the roasting and drying process is called "arabushi."
This method of drying is called the "hand-held volcano method" because the heat is checked by placing one's hand over the fire as shown in the photo, and it requires great skill. The hand-held volcano method is an ancient method, but even today there are few companies that make katsuobushi this way.
5. Sun-dried
After five or six rounds of drying, the bonito is dried in the sun to bring out even more flavor. After sun drying, it is dried again to lock in the flavor, and then sun dried once more. Here, the arabushi that will be used for karebushi are selected. Karebushi that are well shaped and not too fatty are ideal.
6. Shaving
This is the process of smoothing the surface of the arabushi, also known as "polishing." The excess tar and oil that adheres to the surface of the arabushi is scraped off by roasting and drying. At the same time, the roughness is removed and the surface is made smooth. This makes it easier for mold to grow and also makes it look beautiful. Nowadays, polishing is done with machines, but in the past it was done by hand, and there were craftsmen who specialized in this task. These craftsmen would travel from one katsuobushi producing area to another as the katsuobushi moved north.
A knife used by bonito flake shaving craftsmen. It has a unique shape so that it can be used to trim the fine details of bonito flakes.
7.Mold-making
The knots, whose surfaces have been smoothed, are sprayed with mold and placed in a mold room to allow the mold to grow. This mold is harmless to humans and prevents other harmful molds from adhering, while also absorbing moisture and fats from within the knots, enhancing their flavor. After the mold has grown, the knots are dried in the sun. This cycle is repeated several times.
8.Complete
The best karebushi, those with even mold, are carefully selected and shipped as products. The finished karebushi are as beautiful as fine art pieces.
There are many more delicious processed bonito products and ways to eat them!
There are many other processed products besides dried bonito. Let me introduce some of the more distinctive ones. (My impressions and opinions on the taste are my own personal opinions and biases lol)
1. Namari Setsuko
This product is made by roasting and drying once or several times, which is the process used to make dried bonito flakes. It contains more moisture than rough dried bonito, and is in a semi-raw state. You can enjoy the aroma of the roasting and the trapped umami of the bonito. The freshly made raw dried bonito that I was allowed to try at the factory tasted almost like ham. It is firm and satisfying, so it is suitable as an ingredient in pasta, salads, stews, and can be used in a variety of dishes. It goes great with mayonnaise. Personally, I like to eat it with thinly sliced daikon radish.
2. Pickled vegetables
A preserved food made by salting bonito. Half a bonito and salt are layered alternately in a tub, and a weight is placed on top to pickle. Naturally, it is extremely salty, but not only that, the marinating process also enhances the flavor (I think). Even though I know it will raise my blood pressure, I can't stop eating it... I also recommend grilling it and making it into ochazuke or adding it to soup. It used to be a common food eaten in every household in Kesennuma, but in recent years it has become less common, and is rarely seen in supermarkets or souvenir shops. I hope it will be revived as a standard product.
3. Grilled belly fish
This is grilled bonito belly meat. It is commonly eaten in areas where bonito is landed in large quantities, but it is probably not widely available in other areas. The belly meat is the fattiest part of the bonito, so it's no wonder it's delicious! The grilled belly meat of fatty bonito landed in Kesennuma is even more special. If you come across it in a restaurant in Kesennuma, it's a dish you should definitely try.
Bonus: Head simmered in miso sauce
I was shocked by the meal I encountered at the bonito flakes factory. The fat of the bonito and the rich miso were a perfect match. As I continued to eat, I lost track of what or where I was eating (lol). The gelatinous parts around the eyes and the chunks of what seemed to be brains were especially delicious and melted in my mouth. I realized that there may still be ways to eat bonito in this area that I don't know about.
Summary
What did you think? What we have introduced here is only a small part of it. There are many more ways to enjoy bonito that we could not introduce, such as bonito pickled in koji, salted innards, skewered grilled heart, and even secret recipes that have been passed down in each household. It shows how much this fish is loved in this town. If you come to Kesennuma, the town with the highest fresh bonito landings in Japan, you should of course try the bonito sashimi, but it might also be a good idea to try the various processed foods that our ancestors have worked hard to create and experience the depth of the culture with your tongue.
This article is a re-arrangement of part of the contents of the special exhibition "Food and Local Life Vol. 7: From Landing to the Dining Table - Processing and Distribution of Seafood" in XNUMX.Exhibit explanation videoIt has been released on the Rias Ark Museum of Art's YouTube channel, so if you're interested, please check it out!
For the latest information, please contact the appropriate department.