# Mackerel hakozushi (pressed sushi) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Mackerel hakozushi (pressed sushi)

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Ito, Izu region

## Main Ingredients Used
Mackerel, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, lotus root, eggs

## History, Origin, and Related Events
This local dish is made in the Izu region for special days such as festivals. As it was originally made as a meal for fishermen, it uses locally caught mackerel. The fish is broken into small pieces, then seasoned and fried into a kind of mince (known locally as oboro). This is then laid on top of vinegared sushi rice in a serving box, along with stewed vegetables such as carrots or shiitake mushrooms, to make hakozushi - literally, box sushi. When the Buddhist priest Nichiren was exiled to Izu by the Kamakura shogunate in 1261, the fishermen who sheltered him gave him his morning and evening meals in multi-tiered boxes. This is said to be the origin of hakozushi. The oboro mince uses locally caught mackerel, but this varies depending on the region - scad (horse mackerel) or golden eye snapper (alfonsino) are also used.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It is made at home for festivals and other events, and handed out to relatives or neighbours.

## How to Eat
Simply pack sushi rice into a wooden box, then add the other ingredients on top. It can be accompanied with fried mackerel, seasoned with sugar and soy sauce (boil the mackerel first to make the bones easier to remove, then break the flesh into smaller pieces); stewed carrots or shiitake mushrooms; sakura shrimp, and so on. Depending on the region, some areas also use scad (horse mackerel) or golden eye snapper (alfonsino) for the fish. Because fresh fish takes time to prepare, canned mackerel or tuna are used more and more often in recent years.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)It is also sold in supermarkets or by bento box delivery companies.

## Ingredients
- rice: 800g
- For the rice: 
- vinegar: 3 1／3 tablespoons
- sugar: 1 tablespoon
- salt: 1 teaspoon
- mackerel: 120g
- For the mackerel: 
- sugar: 1 1／2 teaspoons
- soy sauce: 1 1／2 teaspoons
- egg: 1
- For the egg: 
- sugar: 1 teaspoon
- salt: a pinch
- carrots: 60g
- For the carrots: 
- dashi stock: 1／2 a cup
- sugar: 1 heaped teaspoon
- salt: a pinch
- dried shiitake mushrooms: 4
- For the mushrooms: 
- dashi stock: 1／2 a cup
- sugar: 1 tablespoon
- soy sauce: 1 teaspoon
- sakura shrimp: 20g
- For the shrimp: 
- soy sauce: 1／2 teaspoon
- sugar: 1 teaspoon
- lotus root: 40g
- For the lotus root: 
- vinegar: 1 1／2 tablespoons
- sugar: 1 tablespoon
- salt: a pinch
- mangetout: 12
- kamaboko (processed fish paste): 40g

## Recipe
1. 1. Cook the rice until firm. Mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt for the rice, mix this into the rice, then set aside.
2. 2. Boil the mackerel for a minute or two, then remove the bones while breaking the flesh into smaller pieces. Cook this in a pot. Add the sugar and soy sauce set aside for the mackerel, to make a kind of seasoned, fried mackerel mince.
3. 3. Scramble the egg, add the sugar and salt, and make this into tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet).
4. 4. Shred the carrots, and boil down in the dashi stock, sugar and salt. Place the dried mushrooms in some water, then boil down in the dashi stock, sugar and soy sauce. Boil the sakura shrimp in the soy sauce and sugar.
5. 5. Thinly slice the lotus root, and boil in some water for a minute or two. Soak in the vinegar, sugar and salt to pickle the roots.
6. 6. Boil the mangetout after taking the stringy fibers out. Cut the kamaboko into half-moon shapes.
7. 7. Lay 4／5ths of the rice out flat in a serving box. Top this with the other ingredients, arrange them well, then lightly press down with the lid.

## Provider Information
provider : Recipe source: Shizuoka Side Dishes (Kaikosha)

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