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Tsumire Ni ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Shimane Prefecture

    Tsumire Ni

Tsumire Ni

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  • Main lore areas

    Izumo Area, Iwami Area, Oki Area etc.

  • Main ingredients used

    Okigisu fish, horse mackerel, flying fish, gobou(=burdock), carrot, etc.

  • History/origin/related events

    Shimane Prefecture has a coastline 1.026 km (637 miles) long, the 10th longest in the country. Offshore, the Tsushima warm current flows toward the northeast, providing an ideal environment for fishing. Fishing methods are diverse, including seine, trawl, set-net, and single-line fishing. The offshore smelt, horse mackerel, and flying fish harvested by these fishing methods are made into surimi, which is then made into tsumire (fish ball) with gobou(=burdock) and green onion, and eaten as tsumire-ni (stewed fish ball) or tsumire-jiru (soup with tsumire).
    In particular, "tsumire-ni" (simmered offshore smelt) is recommended by the locals. One piece of Okigisu, which is not so big (about 20 cm in length), is not so satisfying to eat. If you mince several of them together and make tsumi-ni, you can save time and effort in cooking. Okigisu is the local name for the fish, and its official name is "Nigisu". In some areas, it is also called "Tonkoro iwashi" .
    Okigisu are readily available throughout the year. A long time ago, a familiar sight at fresh fish stores was a box full of okigisu lined up on the shelves. Because they are relatively inexpensive, they are often served at the dinner table. The fish is fatty all year round, and some locals say that it is "as good as Saury”. It is a white-fleshed fish with no peculiarities.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    The okigisu used in "tsumire-ni" is distributed throughout the year and is popular as an everyday food, with December through February being its season, when it is particularly rich in fat. Because it loses its freshness quickly, most of the okigisus caught are dried overnight. The fresh sashimi and tsumire are a local delicacy.

  • How to eat

    Tsumire-ni is steamed or boiled in Japanese soup stock with seasonal vegetables such as carrots and gobou(=burdock). Ginger juice can be used to add a refreshing flavor, and yam can be added as the thickener. If minced finely with a knife, small bones will not be a problem.
    In addition to tsumire, it can also be shaped into hanpen (triangle shape) and deep-fried, or even eaten as namero (chopped and mixed with miso).

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)
    Okigisu are sold at fresh fish stores and supermarkets. It is sometimes sold in minced form. It can also be frozen and stored as fish balls, making it easy to use. Not only Okigisu, but also horse mackerel, flying fish, and other locally caught fish are available at local restaurants as tsumire-ni (stewed fish balls), each prepared in its own way.

RECIPE

Ingredients

  • Minced okigisu fish 500g
  • Katakuriko(=potato starch) 50g
  • Egg white 2
  • Salt
  • Sake a little
  • Mirin (sweet rice wine) a little
  • Ginger juice a little
  • Green onion as needed
  • Kelp Dashi (=Japanese soup stock) 200cc
  • Salt 5g
  • Light soy sauce 30cc
  • Mirin (sweet rice wine) 30cc
  • Ginger juice a little
  • Ginger as needed

How to cook

  • 1. Remove the head and entrails from the Okigisu, and pound the fish bones into surimi (fish cake). (You can also use a food processor.)

  • 2. Add half of the chopped small onion and seasonings to 1, and mix with potato starch and egg white.

  • 3. Combine kombu dashi with seasonings, add 2 in tsumire(fish cake ball) form, and simmer.

  • 4. When tsumire floats to the surface, season with light soy sauce and salt to taste. Finally, top with the remaining small onion and ginger strips.

Recipe Arrangements

You can use flying fish or horse mackerel, or mix them together.

provider : Mr. Masaru Morii, Executive Director, Shimane Culinary Association

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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