# Barazushi ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Barazushi

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
The entire prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Rice, fried tofu pouch, burdock, shiitake mushroom, taro

## History, Origin, and Related Events
"Barazushi" is made by mixing vinegared rice with seasonal vegetables and other ingredients, and it is mainly eaten on special occasions. When serving to guests, it usually features Spanish mackerel, mackerel, and gizzard shad marinated in vinegar, conger eel teriyaki, shredded egg crepe, red pickled ginger, and sansho pepper leaves. It was the main delicacy for spring and autumn festivals at Shinto shrines, Horse Festival, Girls' Festival, new building ceremonies, weddings, and memorial services."Barazushi" from the town of Utazu in the Chusan region is known for its sweeter seasoning. Utazu was a port of the Takamatsu Domain during the Edo period, so sugar was readily available in the area. This region was also one of the leading salt producers in Japan from the Edo period to the 1960s, and sweet foods were preferred because they provided stamina to the salt makers. It is thought that these factors led to the sweeter version of "Barazushi" made in Utazu.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
"Barazushi" was traditionally served at spring and autumn festivals, family ceremonies, and special events. Everyone from children to adults would gather together and chat while making “Barazushi" with a variety of ingredients depending on the season and taste. The conversations would center around the event and the ingredients used, so that the history and culture of the region would be passed down along with the flavor of the dish.

## How to Eat
Cook rice together with dried kelp and sake. Boil shrimp, cut the ingredients such as taro and burdock, then simmer with a mild flavoring. Add the ingredients to the rice mixed with vinegar seasoning, then stir quickly. Arrange in a bowl, and add color by toping with conger eel, shredded egg crepe, etc.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)It is still eaten for gatherings and household meal today, and is made with features seasonal local ingredients. It can also be eaten at restaurants.

## Ingredients
- Rice: 3 rice cups (5cm piece of kelp, 2 tbsp. sake)
- [Vinegar seasoning] Vinegar: 60ml
- [Vinegar seasoning] Salt: 1 heaping tsp.
- [Vinegar seasoning] Sugar: 50 to 70g
- [Mixed ingredient] fried tofu pouch: 1／4
- [Mixed ingredient] Carrot: 40g
- [Mixed ingredient] Burdock: 20g
- [Mixed ingredient] shiitake mushrooms: 3
- [Mixed ingredient] small taro roots: 2
- [Mixed ingredient] Lotus root: 30g
- [Mixed ingredient] Shrimp: 80g
- [Topping] egg: 1
- [Topping] Snap peas: 30g
- [Topping] Conger eel: just a little
- [Topping] Red pickled ginger: just a little

## Recipe
1. 1. Add kelp and sake to the rice and cook as usual.
2. 2. Prepare the mixed ingredients. Boil the shrimp in salt water and cut the burdock into thin slivers and soak in water. Coarsely dice the taro, sprinkle with salt, then soak in water. Cut the lotus root into small pieces. Slice the carrot, fried tofu pouch, and shiitake mushroom into thin rectangles. Made a dried sardine stock, lightly simmer the ingredients, then drain in a colander.
3. 3. Heat the ingredients for the vinegar seasoning until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
4. 4. Pour the hot rice into a wooden sushi rice mixing tub and mix in the vinegar seasoning (use a fan to bring out the glossiness). Add the ingredients from step 2 and stir quickly.
5. 5. Arrange in bowls and garnish with broiled marinated conger eel, shredded egg crepe, diagonally cut snap peas boiled in saltwater, and red pickled ginger.

## Provider Information
provider : Agricultural Management Division, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Kagawa Prefecture

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