Travel Treasure House of Sushi Topping - Mie’s Sushi
Nowadays Sushi is very popular overseas.
Sushi is offered in various places as a proud Japanese culture and loved by many people. What you may not know is that you can find various rare sushi in Mie.
Mie Prefecture has two seas, Ise Bay and Kumano Nada, many fish species are landing. Skipjack's hand-kneaded sushi which devised by fishermen in Shima City is known as a regional cuisine in the Ise Shima area that is crowded with many tourists. Besides that, there are lots of delicious sushi restaurants north to south.
Also, you can enjoy different sushi topping depending on region and season.
This time I visited three sushi shops in Mie prefecture from north to south.
Eat the season of the region in that place.
Please enjoy this foodie trip with me.
———The way is the Kuwana grilled clam
Tokaido fifty-three, 42nd post town - the Kuwana city, the number of Hatago was the second largest in Tokaido.
Speaking of Kuwana City is a famous place of clams. The pun “The way is the Kuwana grilled clam” prevailed since the Edo period.
I visited a long-established sushi shop in Kuwana city, Heiwa Sushi which will celebrate its 100th year next year.
When you pass through the shop curtain, you can see the counter and table seats, and in the back, you can see the seat with a garden view.
The position of the chopsticks and chair of the counter seat which are neatly lined up.
While feeling long-established atmosphere, sitting at the counter seat, energetic old landlady welcomed me.
The shop is operated mainly by old landlady, the son - general (The 4th generation) and his wife (landlady).
I was surprised that I have never seen such thick clams,
Old landlady：You see the shell is very plump. This is Kuwana's clam. The clam shell is plump, it is not watery, and taste is packed.
Kuwana city clams are caught in Ise Bay where mineral abundant water of Kisosansen flows.
Mineral rich water raises seaweed and algae, clams grow up with it as food.
Clams that can be caught all the year, but it is said that the season is around June that Clams eat a lot of food ahead of egg laying.
When you bring it into your mouth, the elegant taste of Clam spreads all of your mouth.
Fluffy elasticity is soft enough to moderate, it makes me want to feel its texture slowly and again.
I am convinced that there are also a lot of regulars coming to eat from outside the prefecture such as Kyoto and Tokyo.
General：Boiled clams will quickly pass through heat and then will be soak into soup stock. Kuwana's clams are delicious whether you grill it or boil.
Next, the general served Sillago sushi.
The delicate white meat of Sillago from Ise Bay which have quality waters containing nutrients from the river, is crisp.
The Sillago sushi is tightened by kelp and have elegant taste.
Besides Clams and Sillago, Mie also have Spring Whitefish, Muraenesox Cinereus, Trachurus Japonicus, and Bastard Halibut which Kuwana City is proud. You can enjoy it for the four seasons.
Look around the shop, there was a picture of the most noisy festival in Japan, Kuwana Isidori Festival (UNESCO intangible cultural heritage) and a pamphlet of the Mie Sushi Kaidou. Mie Sushi Kaidou is an organization which entitled “26 Choiced Boutique Taste Shop” and affiliated with 26 sushi shops in Mie prefecture. It organize various events to develop sushi industry and foster young sushi craftsmen.
Leave Kuwana city, we will head to the Ise Shima area where Ise Jingu located.
———Octopus, using salt.
It is approximately an hour and a half by car from Kuwana City to Ise Jingu Geku.
Next shop, Sushi Akatsuki is from there for about 40 minutes.
The concept of the shop is to make the Sushi of the season of Ise Shima.
Inside the store there are counter and seats.
The impression of a shop with a friendly atmosphere rather than a long-established store.
I sat on the counter seat and ordered an Octopus Sushi.
General：Please using salt. Speaking of Ise Shima, Ise shrimp and abalone are famous. And octopus of Ise Shima makes them food, so I told that the taste is deep.
Strong texture and deep octopi’s taste are enjoyable.
Would Trachurus Japonicus have such a texture and taste that good?
General：Customers always amazed by the taste and texture of Trachurus Japonicus, since it is completely different from Trachurus Japonicus which you eat in the city. The Trachurus Japonicus being used is not caught by a net, but it is caught carefully by fishing, so there is no collapse.
Other than this, the sushi topping of this shop was almost caught at the local Ise Shima.
There are many local customers on weekdays, including fishermen and fishery related persons.
The general grew up in the fishing village of the town next to Shima City and grew up as a son of a fisherman of tuna and bonito.
He acquired sushi training at a famous Kansai shop and opened a store in Shima.
The general was surprised by the large number of fishes of Ise Shima at the time of opening.
While enjoying the conversation with the general, the “fox” came out.
In this area we refer to Hagatsuo as a Fox bonito (commonly known as a Fox).
Because it comes with bonito within the name, it tends to imagine the taste of common bonito, but it is slightly different.
Order Perciformes Mackerel Hagatsuo is sometimes called Mackerel Bonito in other regions.
The moist texture, smooth fat is close to the taste of Spanish Mackerel, a taste like take good part from Spanish Mackerel and Bonito.
Since the Hagatsuo has few catches in the Mackerel family, and it is hard to preserve, so Hagatsuo sashimi and sushi are limited to eating at the production area.
I have eaten rare Atrina Pectinate which is caught in Toushijima - Toba's isolated island, summer season's Parapristipoma Trilineatum and Pleuronectes Platessa.
Speaking of the summer of Ise Shima, Abalone is must.
A woman diver can be said to be a poem of Ise Shima.
The rias coast that spreads to Ise Shima is the environment where the light of the sun is easy to reach the sea.
When there is mineral rich water from the mountain there, seaweed is easy to grow.
This area is a pleasant environment for abalone which feeds seaweed called Eisenia Bicyclis.
A sustainable environment where rich variety of delicious foods grows is here rooted in Ise Shima.
General：The menu is handwritten, but since the fish caught every day change, there are times when it cannot be written out because there are too many fish species.
After enjoying the season of Ise Shima, I headed for Owase City in the Higasuhikishu where Kumano Nada located, seeking local taste.
———Looking for Luxury Fish, Gymnocranius Griseus
Rias style coast of Higasuhikishu that continues from Ise Shima district.
The Kumano Nada, where the distance between the mountains and the sea is close and the water depth is deep, is also a treasure trove of shrimp previously wrote in "Food of Mie Prefecture".
In fact, I have eaten squid mille-feuille at Owase's sushi restaurant before.
Locally produced sea urchins are contained in local neon flying squid.
I guess that shop would be able to eat delicious sushi besides squid mille-feuille.
With such expectations in mind, I visited Sushi shop Ichiju.
The shop is in a residential area, there are counter and seat.
There was room that was used abundance of Owase hinoki in the room, and it smelled nice.
I ordered squid mille-feuille straightaway.
General：Oh, sorry. It is sold out. There were a lot of customers yesterday. Sorry about that!
I ordered local Sushi toppings.
First of all, Trachurus Japonicus Sushi. It is said that only Ikejime Trachurus Japonicus is used.
It is a beautiful sushi like art.
You can feel the general’s delicate skill of Tokyo-style sushi which was learned from training of sushi in the city.
Next is Neon Flying Squid Sushi.
When put in the mouth, the sliced fish meat melts, a sense of surprise.
With the technique applied with kitchen knife, soy sauce will soak into fish meat in a well-balanced manner.
General：The red sea urchins caught in Higasuhikishu are also popular with customers.
It was my first time to eat sea urchin that quickly melting, with such fine slicing, rich flavor that soy sauce is not needed. It's a new sensation.
Me：Umm ... Do you have Gymnocranius Griseus?
General：Gymnocranius Griseus. Sure！
Previously, from an acquaintance who lives in Owase City, I heard that Gymnocranius Griseus is delicious in the summer.
Although it is a luxury fish "delicious anyway!", It was recommended that you should eat without hesitation if you find it in a shop because there is little catch.
Carry it to mouth.
It is strange, there is a taste that feels sweetness that seems like it’s not a Sea Bream.
And greasy, white meat’s rich taste are spreading in the mouth.
Indeed, it was convinced that "Anyway delicious!"
It is not long-lived because of fat in summer.
Therefore, it seems that it is difficult to enjoy this taste in urban areas.
Besides, I got Bonito, Red Sphyraenidae, Trichiurus lepturus, Parapristipoma Trilineatum and Beus Groenlandicus Sushi.
I think that all are excellent.
Lastly, I got eggs sushi.
General：There are gasuu ebi inside the egg.
The gasuu ebi, which is hard to preserve and difficult to distribute, is sweet, and there are many fans for local shrimp lovers.
For reference, I would like to introduce the articles of gasuu ebi which wrote in the Food of Mie Prefecture previously.
Article：IF YOU DON’T COME HERE, YOU CAN’T EAT IT; THE FLAVOR OF PRAWNS BELOVED IN FISHING VILLAGES
〈Article Excerpt〉
I pop one of these bite sized gasuu ebi into my mouth and the umami blossoms, filling my mouth. Fresh gasuu ebi are also delicious as a sushi topping. They go well with many local dishes, but they go bad rather quickly so they can only be enjoyed in this area.
Moreover, the general told me by hitting gasuu ebi and using the soup of gasuu ebi for eggs, it is difficult for get hard even if placed in fire. When you bring it to your mouth, the fragrant sweet and glamorous flavor of shrimp dances.
While basking in the delicious lingering taste in Higashikishu, I left the store.
This time I visited three shops, there are still many Mie's sushi shop can call a famous shop.
I would like to invite you to Mie, enjoy local seasonal sushi.
（Coverage Date : October 6th, 20th, and 24th 2018）
Planning and Editing：Living and Traveling in Mie WEB Magazine OTONAMIE Operation Headquarters
Coverage：Yusuke Murayama（Representative of OTONAMIE）
Cooperation
Heiwa Sushi
800 Yaida, Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture
Tel 0594-22-0989
Sushi Akatsuki
Kopo Ooishi 1F, 1460-2 Koka, Ago Cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture
Tel 0599-45-5586
HP http://www.sushi-akatsuki.com
Sushi shop Ichiju
9-3 Nanyo Cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture
Tel 0597-22-8991