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Bai no Nimono ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Toyama Prefecture

    Bai no Nimono

Bai no Nimono

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  • Main lore areas

    All of Toyama Prefecture

  • Main ingredients used

    “Bai-gai” (=Japanese ivory shell)

  • History/origin/related events

    “Bai-gai” (=Japanese ivory shell) is a type of mollusk that lives in the deep waters of Toyama Bay and is eaten by the local people. Bai-gai are caught by caging them in fishing nets. There are four types of bai-gai (oecchubai, neptunea constricta, kagabai and tsubai) caught in the areas Shinminato, Namekawa, Uozu, Kurobe and Asahi. It is rare for so many types to be caught in one region. In Japanese, “bai” means twice and so bai-gai is considered extra lucky, which is why it is a popular ingredient used in meals served at celebrations and festivals. “Bai no nimono” is a traditional dish that has been served on special occasions for a long time. When making this dish, the bai-gai is cooked with their shells which makes the flesh inside even more tasty. Small bai-gai called “tsubai” (said to come from the local dialect, tsunkoi bai, meaning small bai-gai) are used for this dish as they are caught in large quantities. Recently, rice cooked with “tsubai” and its broth, called “bai-meshi” is also popular. The other three types of bai-gai are larger in size which make them suitable for sashimi and their crunchy texture is favored by many.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    Eating “bai-gai” (=Japanese ivory shell) is considered good luck in Japan and it is often served for the new year holidays, during festivals and other celebrations. Bai-gai is caught all year round but those caught during the winter is said to be most delicious. They are also served at restaurants and go well with drinks.

  • How to eat

    Place the bai-gai and some water in a pot and cook. Once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium. Once cooked, clean the bai-gai with fresh water. Simmer the bai-gai in some dashi soup while removing any excess foam that comes out. Make sure that the shells of the bai-gai do not crack while cooking. Also, the bai-gai should not be overcooked as they will become hard. Take out the flesh of the bai-gai with a toothpick and enjoy the entire taste including its liver.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
    Bai-gai can be purchased at supermarkets and is widely available. “Bai no nimono” is a popular recipe to make at home as it is easy to make. Recently, rice cooked with bai-gai named “bai-meshi” has also become popular. Fishermen who cooked rice with leftover bai-gai came up with this rice dish. The recipe won second place in the first “Fish-1 Grand Prix” held in 2013 when the fishermen’s cooperative of Uozu city, Toyama participated. Through this competition, the awareness of bai-gai went up.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Small “bai-gai” (=Japanese ivory shell) 30
  • [Dashi Soup] Dashi(=Japanese soup stock) 600ml
  • [Dashi Soup] Soy sauce 60ml
  • [Dashi Soup] “Mirin” (=sweet rice wine) 60ml
  • [Dashi Soup] Sake 20ml
  • [Dashi Soup] Ginger A little

How to cook

  • 1. Put water and bai-gai in a pot and cook.

  • 2. Once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes.

  • 3. Once the bai-gai is cooked, wash in some fresh water.

  • 4. Simmer the bai-gai in the dashi soup for 10 minutes while removing any excess foam from the soup.

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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