| | There is a traditional food called "saba no heshiko." It is a much-loved delicacy of the Wakasa area, of southwestern Fukui. Chub mackerl caught before laying their eggs in the spring, cut opened and pickled with salt mixed with rice bran, was widely used for long-keeping food. The best heshiko is one that has been pickled for more than one year. With its nice aroma, this type of heshiko whets the appetite and is best when eaten with a small amount of rice bran and rice. Another way to eat heshiko would be to use it as a topping in ocha-zuke (rice in green tea or fish tock). A thinly sliced heshiko is a great snack to eat with drinks.
Even today, nare zushi, which is unsalted heshiko, stuffed with rice and malted rice and fermented for twenty days is a New Year's delicacy. Another traditional chub mackerel dish is hama-yaki saba, which is grilled chub mackerel caught in autumn and served with shoyu and ginger. This dish was commonly served after rice planting. Although now considered a high-class fish, chub mackerel, which can be prepared in many different ways, is enjoyed by the masses.
This chub mackerel was not only enjoyed in the Wakasa area, but was "exported" to Kyoto over night. The road to Kyoto was named saba kaido (chub mackerel highway), starting in the center of Wakasa, in Izumi-cho of Obama city, and ending in Teramachi-Imadegawa in Kyoto. Many saba kaido routes existed, but the most used route was via Kumagawa and Kutsuki of Shiga, over the Hanaori summit and through Ohara to Demachi Yanagi in Kyoto. There is a saying, "Kyoto may be far, but is only 18 ri away". 18ri is equivalent to approximately 70km, which is not a short distance. With chub mackerel which is easy to spoil, people of Wakasa rushed through the mountains to bring this delight to Kyoto. Enjoyed by the people of Kyoto even to date, the mackerel for this saba zushi was brought all the way from Wakasa.
Fukui prefecture is divided by the Hachibuse Mountains. The northern part is referred to as Echizen, and the southern part called Wakasa. | |
Japanese people are most likely to imagine the crab
when we hear the word Echizen. Male snow crab, better known as "Echizen
Crab" is also known as "Matsuba Crab" in the San-in (Tottori/Shimane/Northern
Hyogo Prefecture) area. Each area, believing that they have the
best crab, has their own original names for crabs caught in their
area. There is a whole set of other names for queen crabs (female
crabs), such as "koubaku gani" in Kaga area (Ishikawa Prefecture),
and "seiko gani" in San-in and Fukui areas. Although seiko gani
is half the size of Echizen crab, it is a delicacy because of the
amount of miso (entrails of crab is a delicacy in Japan) in it.
Pink shrimp and sea urchin were "exported to Kyoto" via Tsuruga
by the saba highway as well. Japanese branquillo, otherwise known
as guji, squid, and flatfish from Wakasa Bay, wild plants from the
mountains, kombu, seaweed and herring from Ezo (Hokkaido area) were
all brought to Kyoto or Osaka via this highway. It is interesting
to note that a message on wood was found proving that the nare zushi
was sent to Nara's Heijyo kyo (city with imperial palaces in the
Nara Basin in use from 710 to 784) as a gift from Aosato in Wakasakoku
Onyu County. The tradition of giving the best foods to the Imperial
Court is believed to have started as early as Asuka and Nara periods
(seven to eighth century).
In recent days, Wakasa is famous for cultured puffer. The ocellate
puffer grown in the bays with jagged coastlines is highly praised
by the connoisseurs in Kei-hanshin area (Kyoto-Kobe area) for its
light flavor and distinctive crunch. It is often described to be
equivalent to the crab, yet another king of winter delicacy.
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Fukui Tourism Federation
TEL.0776-23-3677 |
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