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Gosaitzuke ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Ibaraki Prefecture

    Gosaitzuke

Gosaitzuke

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  • Gosaitzuke

    Image provided by: Tokiwa University Professor Reiko Arata

  • Main lore areas

    Rokko region, Kashima, Hokota

  • Main ingredients used

    Pacific saury, daikon radish

  • History/origin/related events

    The "Kashima Sea", which stretches from Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture to Inubosaki in Chiba Prefecture, is an excellent fishing area where the "Oyashio" Current and "Kuroshio" Current collide. During the Showa period, both before and after the war, great numbers of sardines were caught in autumn and distributed to households. The sardines, which can be caught in large quantities, are pickled in salt from around November. Once they’re fermented, they’re pickled together with daikon radishes. “Gosaitzuke” has long been loved as a local hometown winter dish and was an important source of protein for commoners.
    As for the origin of the name, it’s described in Hokota Culture No. 35 (A Study of the Etymology of “Gosaitzuke” and its Production Method by Katsusaburo Ishizaki). The small sardines with very little fat which were suitable for "gosaitzuke" were called “Kosai,” which later changed to “gosai.” Other than that, there are also various theories that it’s called "gosaitzuke" because it’s pickled by the second wife (gosai; gosaitzuke) or because it uses five ingredients (gosai).
    In the past each household had its own flavor of "gosaitzuke" and it was wildly popular, but in recent years the number of households making "gosaitzuke" has been decreasing due to the amount of time and effort involved in making it, and because the traditional way of making it cannot be used due to global warming. Also, "gosaitzuke" is now being made from Pacific saury because the sardine catch is decreasing and their appearance is poor due to a loss of shape.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    Sardines were used in the past, and "gosaitzuke" made with anchovies were regarded as especially delicious. Pacific saury has come to be used more as the sardine catch has decreased, and now "gosaitzuke" is eaten as a winter preserved and fermented food from the end of November to around February, the season when fresh Pacific saury is available.

  • How to eat

    Remove the head and innards from the Pacific saury, wash the belly under running water several times to thoroughly wash out the blood and fat, then cut the Pacific saury into 4 to 5 equal-sized pieces. After two weeks to a month, sprinkle the Pacific saury with salt and marinate in a barrel, after which the Pacific saury must be washed again with water to remove blood and fat. Bite-sized half-moon slices of daikon radish, Pacific saury, red chili pepper, yuzu juice and peels, and salt are added repeatedly in that order for pickling. Store in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator. Remove the water produced during the pickling process and it will be ready to eat after 2 weeks.
    It can be eaten as it is, but it’s also said that it’s preferable to wash the finished "gosaitzuke" once with water to remove the saltiness and then add a small amount of soy sauce.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
    There are fewer opportunities to make "gosaitzuke" at home due to the difficulty of the process. However, in order to pass down this flavor to the new generation, local fresh fish shops are making and selling "gosaitzuke" using their own particular production methods. Some grocery stores are also making it for commercial use.

source : Tokiwa University Professor Reiko Arata

RECIPE

Ingredients (for one 10L barrel)

  • Pacific saury 20 fish
  • Salt 50g
  • Additional salt 30–40g
  • Daikon radish 10 radishes
  • Carrots 2 carrots
  • Yuzu peels 3 pieces
  • Red chili pepper 5 chilis

How to cook

  • 1. Remove the head and innards of the Pacific saury and wash the blood out thoroughly under running water.

  • 2. Without cutting the Pacific saury, salt it evenly and pickle it for 2–3 weeks. (There’s also a method of pickling it after cutting it into chunks, but the finished shape will be nicer if you pickle it whole. If the temperature is high or if you pickle it indoors, store it in the refrigerator and wait for fermentation.)

  • 3. After properly soaking it, wash it well while changing the water many times, then cut it into 5 pieces and sprinkle it evenly with additional salt.

  • 4. Roughly chop the daikon radishes, cut the carrots into thick strips, cut the red peppers into round pieces, and cut the yuzu peels into strips.

  • 5. Alternately layer (a) daikon radishes and carrots, (b) fish, (c) yuzu peels and chili peppers in this order in a barrel and place a weight on top to pickle. It will be completed after about 2 weeks of pickling.

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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