# Haze Tsukudani ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Haze Tsukudani

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Coastal areas

## Main Ingredients Used
Haze (Goby), Tamari (Sauce)

## History, Origin, and Related Events
Mikawa Bay is situated between the Chita and Atsumi Peninsulas in Aichi Prefecture. It has a long stretch of shallow water and is home to tidal flats such as Rokujo Lagoon and Shiogawa Tidal Flat. The cultivation of sweet potatoes on the Atsumi Peninsula has contributed to the popularity of tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce and sugar) in coastal areas, making it possible to preserve fish for a longer time. Even today, there are tsukudani restaurants scattered throughout the region.Aichi Prefecture's tsukudani is known for its use of tamari, which is a representative seasoning of the region. Tamari soy sauce is made almost exclusively from soybeans, unlike soy sauce, which is typically made from barley. This gives it a rich, full-bodied flavor that is reminiscent of soybean miso. It is said that tamari originated from the liquid that oozed out during the process of making soybean miso.Haze Tsukudani is an essential dish for Osechi cuisine, which is served on New Year's Eve. Haze's face resembles that of an old man, symbolizing longevity, and its fast swimming speed is said to help people achieve their goals more quickly.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
During New Year’s, it is customary to eat a dish called Osechi, which is believed to bring good luck. In winter, you'll find Tsukudani made from the Mikawa red-spotted goby on store shelves, indicating that the year is about to end. The goby fishing season in the coastal areas of Ise and Mikawa bays is from September to November. The caught gobies are first gutted, grilled, and then stored until New Year's. These grilled gobies are then used to make Tsukudani. In addition to Tsukudani, grilled gobies are also used as the core of Kombu rolls and as soup stock for Zoni (a kind of stew). Gobies are also delicious when served as Sashimi, Tempura, and Deep-Fried. However, it is important to note that only second-year gobies that are 15 cm in length can be made into Sashimi. Kamezaki, located on the Chita Peninsula, is known to be the best place to catch gobies.

## How to Eat
River gobies are boiled without removing the entrails, while ocean gobies are removed, baked, dried, and then boiled. Sea gobies are first grilled, dried, and then simmered. To enhance the flavor, some people add dashi kelp at the bottom of the pot and a small amount of ground sansho (Japanese pepper) to the broth. If you are concerned about the smell of goby, lightly boil it in tea before cooking it with tamari and sugar to remove the smell. You can enjoy it with freshly cooked rice, or as a snack with sake.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
Making tsukudani at home is becoming more difficult, but it is still available at specialty tsukudani shops. Towards the end of the year, supermarkets in Toyohashi City sell grilled goby. However, due to the rarity of domestic gobies, many are now processed from imported gobies. Nonetheless, high-quality domestic grilled gobies can still be purchased at Yanagibashi Market in Nagoya City.

## Ingredients
- Sea goby: 200g
- [A] Water: 200ml
- [A] Sake: 50ml
- [A] Mirin (sweet cooking sake): 50ml
- [A] Tamari soy sauce: 50ml
- [A] Sugar: 3 tbsp.

## Recipe
1. 1. Remove goby scales and insert a bamboo skewer between the gills from both sides of the goby's mouth. Pull out the gills and entrails while turning the skewer. Rinse the goby quickly in salt water to remove any sliminess and dirt, then pat it dry.
2. 2. Arrange the prepared goby on a bat and place it in the refrigerator without wrapping for half a day to dry.
3. 3. Grill the goby on a fish grill.
4. 4. Place the goby again in the refrigerator without wrapping and let it dry overnight.
5. 5. Put some A in a saucepan, place the dried goby on top, cover it with a lid, and simmer over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed.

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

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