A Taste of the Tohoku
Hungry to learn more about the food and food culture of the TOHOKU region?
This post is about HARAKO MESHI, (literally “salmon child rice”) a signature dish of MIYAGI Prefecture that is often featured at family gatherings. Every household seems to have it’s own rendition, but with this master recipe in hand you can create your own "customized" version. ENJOY!
The crusty bits that form at the bottom of the pot are called okogé and are especially tasty!
No matter where in the world you may be, you can support economic recovery of the region by making a contribution to Sponsor
Fellows for Tohoku and Japan’s Recovery. This project, launched
and managed by Entrepreneurial Training for Innovative Communities (ETIC) has a
dual goal: creating jobs in the area devastated by the disaster and developing
a new generation of business leaders in Japan. To learn more about the Fellows Project, click here.
Salmon has always played an important role in Tohoku
cuisine. Archaeological evidence dating back at least 5,000
years shows that the early inhabitants of the Tohoku – the Jomon peoples—fished
for salmon.
The ancient coastline is dotted with inlets that today bear the names of well-known fishing ports: Oofunato, Rikuzentakada and Minami Sanriku, all of which were devastated by the tsunami.
The ancient coastline is dotted with inlets that today bear the names of well-known fishing ports: Oofunato, Rikuzentakada and Minami Sanriku, all of which were devastated by the tsunami.
Before the disaster, Minami Sanriku had become a major center for farmed Coho salmon – bringing about 15,000 tons of fish a year to Japan’s domestic market. Late in September of 2011, on a very small scale, the autumn harvest commenced.
鮭
saké
(salmon)
