# Takomeshi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Takomeshi

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Mihara City, Onomichi City, Fukuyama City

## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, Octopus, Carrot, Gobou(=Burdock), Fried thin tofu

## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Takomeshi" is octopus cooked with rice. Originally, fishermen would chop octopus on the boat and cook it into rice and eat it as fishermen's rice. The environment off the coast of Mihara is particularly suitable for growing octopus because of its good water quality, stable water temperature, and rocky areas with abundant bait, and octopus fishing has been popular since the Edo period. Even today, the Seto Inland Sea is one of the most important habitats for octopus. The fast ocean currents in this area allow octopus to stick firmly to the rocks, making their legs thicker and shorter, and giving them a firmer, crunchier texture. The main method of octopus fishing in Mihara is "takotsubo fishing", in which the octopus body is not easily damaged. About 100 octopus cribs are attached to a rope about 100 meters long and sunk at intervals of several tens of meters to the bottom of the sea, as determined by each fisherman. No buoys or other landmarks are placed at this time, so fishing requires many years of intuition and experience. The octopus are immediately washed in salt water, vacuum-packed, and flash-frozen. The Mihara City Fisheries Cooperative Association has branded the octopus caught in Mihara under the name "Mihara Yassa Octopus," after the local traditional event "Mihara Yassa Festival".

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
Octopus is in season from June to August, but thanks to improvements in freezing technology, it is eaten throughout the year. Originally, fishermen ate octopus rice on their boats, but now it is widely consumed by the general public. In some areas, it was also eaten during rice-planting festivals to pray for a good harvest, "so that the rice plants will grow well like the legs of an octopus. It is also made in ordinary households.

## How to Eat
Blanch raw octopus with salt to remove any sliminess, then rinse in cold water. Cook chopped octopus with carrots, Gobou(=Burdock), ginger, etc. in Dashi(=Japanise soup stock), soy sauce and sake. Ingredients may vary from region to region. In some cases, rice bran is used to remove the sludge from the octopus. Dried octopus is also delicious. Other popular octopus dishes include octopus tempura and octopus sashimi.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization) It is sold at local produce stands and served at restaurants. It is also popular as a school lunch menu item. The Mihara City Fisheries Cooperative Association has branded the octopus caught in Mihara under the name "Mihara Yassa Octopus" in reference to the local traditional event "Mihara Yassa Festival". Every August 8 is designated as "Octopus Day," and events such as an octopus memorial service, cooking classes, and a music festival are held. New octopus menus, such as octopus tempura curry and octopus burgers, are being developed at the Mihara production center. In addition, various products using octopus are sold at souvenir stores in the city, such as "Open Octopus," "Tako-Meshi no Moto," and "Tako-Momiji," a famous Hiroshima confectionery containing octopus, making it easy to enjoy octopus.

## Ingredients
- Polished rice: 2 cups
- Water: 450ml
- Boiled octopus: 150 g
- Carrots: 30 g
- [Seasonings] Sake: a pinch
- [Seasonings] Light soy sauce: Approximately 2tbsp.
- Finely chopped nori seaweed: As needed

## Recipe
1. 1. Cut boiled octopus into chunks.
2. 2. Julienne carrot into thin strips.
3. 3. Add water, 1, 2 and [seasonings] to washed rice and cook together.
4. 4. Place 3 in a bowl and top with chopped nori.

## Provider Information
provider : "A Taste of Fukuyama: Local Cuisine" (Fukuyama City Council of Dietary Improvement Promoters)

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