# Samma no Surimi Jiru (Pacific Saury Fish Ball Soup) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Samma no Surimi Jiru (Pacific Saury Fish Ball Soup)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Sanriku Coast Area

## Main Ingredients Used
Pacific saury, Daikon radish, Carrot, Tofu, Green onion, Egg, Miso, Soy sauce

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Iwate Prefecture catches Pacific saury the most in Honshu Island in Japan. (from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries “Fisheries and Aquaculture Production Statistics 2020”) People used to make minced sardine and cooked pacific saury with salt-grilled or simmered with salt. The catch of pacific saury has increased in 60 years, and they have started making soup with minced saury since then. The amount of saury catches, however, is decreasing these days.‘Samma no Surimi Jiru’ is a soup with pacific saury fish ball. You will enjoy simple flavor of seasonings and saury. The tip to make fluffy minced meat is to crush saury meat well in the mortar. It is well-known as a classic home dish during saury season in Sanriku Coast area.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is a classic home dish during the saury season. You can cook it easily by getting minced saury in the fish stores or supermarkets.

## How to Eat
Mince cleared pacific saury in a mortar, then add miso, egg, salt say sauce and sake for flavor. Boil fish balls in the hot pot, then add daikon radish, carrot, green onion and tofu. Simmer them until the ingredients become tender. You can use miso or soy sauce for flavor.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of traditions, preservation societies, social media use, modern approaches for commercialization etc.)It is well-known as a home food in Sanriku Coast area. ‘Samma Fair’ is held in Ohfunato City, and various saury dishes are developed and served by the local stores and restaurants there. In addition, Ohfunato City declared September 30th as ‘Samma Day’, and schools take it as an opportunity to serve saury dishes as a school meal. Iwate Prefectural Government recognizes groups and people passing down the local food as "Iwate Prefecture Food Artisan", and there are some "Iwate Prefecture Food Artisan" for ‘Samma no Surimi Jiru’, too.

## Ingredients
- Pacific saury (big, 2): 200g
- Daikon radish: 250g
- Carrot: 40g
- Green onion: 30g
- Tofu: 200g
- Miso: 50g
- Egg: 1
- Salt: 1／2 tsp.
- Soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
- Sake: 2 tbsp.
- Water: 1800cc

## Recipe
1. 1. Remove skin from pacific saury, then fillet into three pieces. Chop the fish meat finely, then crush in a mortar until the meat becomes sticky.
2. 2. Add miso, egg, salt, soy sauce and sake. Mix them well.
3. 3. Chop daikon radish and carrot. Slice green onion diagonally. Cut tofu into a bite-sized.
4. 4. Make 20~30g of fish balls. Put balls into boiled hot water in a pan. (It would be easier to make fish balls with a spoon.)
5. 5. Simmer balls for 15minutes. Add daikon radish and carrot once you see the flavor of seasonings and fish comes out. Add tofu and green onion once the vegetables become tender. Boil a couple of minutes. Add miso dissolved with say sauce if the soup tastes too plain.
6. 6. Add ‘Koji namban’ for spicy flavor. (Make ‘Koji Namban’ with malted rice 1: soy sauce 1: chili pepper1／2. Mix them well and leave for more than 3months.)The locals often cook soup with 1800cc of water and 2 of saury in Sanriku region although their family is small.)

## Provider Information
provider : "Iwate Prefecture Food Artisan" Ms. Haruko Tanaka from Ohfunato City

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