# Kushi-asari (Clam Skewer) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Kushi-asari (Clam Skewer)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Higashimikawa area, Chita area

## Main Ingredients Used
Clams

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Aichi Prefecture has the largest clam catch in Japan. Nishio City and Gamagori City have the highest catches, while the Atsumi Peninsula and Chita Peninsula also contribute to the clam industry. The supply of clams is supported by resource management, such as the creation of tidal flats and shallow areas in Mikawa Bay and the transplantation of young clams from the Rokujo Lagoon at the mouth of the Toyokawa River. In addition, the nets used in the Mikawa Bay clam fishery are designed to prevent overfishing by making the nets (mangas) large enough to allow small clams to pass through. The shallow waters and gentle waves of Mikawa Bay create an environment that is ideal for the growth of clams. As a result, many dishes using clams are prepared in the coastal areas of Mikawa Bay. “Kushi-asari” is a simple local dish made by skewering clams and drying them in the sun. “Kushi-asari” was offered to the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period and was also served at inns along the Tokaido Highway, where it was enjoyed by a wide range of people. In Kamezaki, Handa City, where the Kamezaki-shiohimatsuri Festival is held, “kushi-asari” has become an integral part of the festival. The festival is recognized as a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. However, the clam catch has declined, and fewer and fewer clams from Aichi Prefecture are being sold in supermarkets.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Kushi-asari is a dish commonly made with spring clams. These clams are known for their thickness and full flavor, and they are packed with nutrients before the summer spawning season. Due to the preservation method, they can be consumed all year round. The dish is especially popular as a side dish for New Year's sake.

## How to Eat
Skewer fresh clams through their water tubes and dry them in the sun for a whole day. It's important to use fat clams as their flesh shrinks when dried. You can enjoy the concentrated flavor of the clams by eating them as they are, or you can slightly roast them over a fire or have them as tempura, which is also a popular way to eat them.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Although there are fewer opportunities to make kushi-asari at home, it is still available at restaurants on the Chita Peninsula. However, in the Chita Peninsula, it is still possible to order “kushi-asari” made in the old-fashioned way. In Kamezaki-cho, Handa City, a workshop is being held for children to teach them how to make kushi-asari. As part of the city's revitalization efforts, publicity for “kushi-asari” is also being promoted. When many tourists visited Hinaga Island, Sasajima, and Sakujima in Mikawa Bay, they were served skewered asari clams. To take the clams out of the shells raw, they used a shell molder made by a blacksmith in Toyohashi Osaki - the home of this dish.

## Ingredients
- Clams (Sand-dried): 1.2 kg
- Water: 1 liter
- Salt: 2 tbsp.
- Bamboo skewers: 20

## Recipe
1. 1. To peel raw clams, hold the clam with its mouth facing up and the short end facing you. Insert a knife about one-third of the way into the clam and push it from the front toward the back. While the clam is still open, insert your fingernail and then the knife towards the back. Return the blade and rotate it in a circular motion inside the shell to open the clam.
2. 2. Combine salt and water, and rinse the clam lightly in the mixture.
3. 3. Stick a bamboo skewer between the strings on both sides of the clam and pass it through the upper of the two water tubes.
4. 4. Dry the clams in a sunny place for 6 to 7 hours.
5. 5. To roast the clams, follow your preferred recipe.

## Provider Information
provider : 50 Recipes of Aichi's Local Cuisine

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