Abuttekamo (Salt-grilled Chromis) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Fukuoka Prefecture

Abuttekamo (Salt-grilled Chromis)

＊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）。

Related images

Please refer to “Links and Copyrights” for information on secondary use of images.(Term of use)

DOWNLOAD

Image Source : Norio Matsukuma (former professor at Nakamura Gakuen University Junior College)

Main lore areas

Fukuoka City
Main ingredients used

Damselfish

History/origin/related events

"Abuttekamo" is salt-roasted damselfish mainly eaten in the coastal areas of Fukuoka City. It is characterized by the aroma of the skin and scales and the slight bitterness of the liver. The damselfish is a small fish with a body length of about 10 cm and is found widely in the Sea of Japan. There are few regions that actively eat it because it has many small bones and a thin body. In some regions, it was called “kajikiri” because it was so prolific that it interfered with the movement of ships when it was in season and was not welcomed very much. The Genkai Sea, which is close to Hakata Bay, has long been a good fishing ground where the Kuroshio Current, which is rich in nutrients, joins. Around the end of the Meiji era, a large amount of damselfish sometimes flowed in there. Damselfish were scooped up in order to secure the course of the ship, but they were difficult to dispose of, so they were sprinkled with salt and roasted later on, at which time it was discovered that they were fatty and delicious, and since then, they have been roasted and eaten. It is said that this came to be recognized as a specialty of Hakata after entering the Showa era when it began to be served at restaurants.
It is said that the name of the dish is derived from the Japanese phrase for “let’s roast and bite into it” or the opinion that it has the umami of duck when roasted.
Opportunities and times of eating habits

"Abuttekamo" is available in the market from around March to the end of summer. The season when it is the most fatty and delicious is early summer, before the damselfish spawning season. It can be eaten not only at home, but also at several restaurants in the prefecture, and is popular as a side dish to go with sake.
How to eat

Without removing the scales and internal organs, sprinkle the damselfish with salt and leave overnight before roasting. Enjoy the texture of the browned scales and skin and the juicy flesh as you eat it in its entirety, including the bones.
Efforts for Preservation and Succession

(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
Even now, when damselfish are in season, they can be found at fishmongers and supermarkets, as well as on the menus of restaurants. It is recognized by the people of the prefecture as a tradition of early summer and as a specialty of Hakata.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

damselfish 4
Salt An appropriate amount

How to cook

1. Sprinkle salt on the damselfish and leave overnight.
2. The next day, roast the damselfish over an open flame.

provider : “Fukuoka Prefecture’s Local Cuisine” (Author: Kikue Kusunoki, Professor Emeritus at Nakamura Gakuen University, Publisher: Dobunshoin)

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

Abuttekamo (Salt-grilled Chromis) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

Fukuoka Prefecture