Chiba Local Cuisine: Sangayaki

Alright, let’s dive into a real local delicacy from Chiba – Sangayaki! It’s a dish with serious fisherman roots, born from a super tasty preparation called “Namerou.” Get ready for some bold flavors and a story that goes from the sea to the mountains!

Dish Name: Sangayaki (さんが焼き)

• Primary Area of Tradition: Boso Peninsula region
• Main Ingredients: Aji (horse mackerel) or Saba (mackerel)

How It’s Eaten / Served

The Boso Peninsula has been blessed with abundant catches of fish like aji (horse mackerel), iwashi (sardines), and sanma (Pacific saury) for ages. Fishermen, needing a quick and easy way to cook fresh catches on their unsteady boats, created a dish called “Namerou” by finely chopping the fish with miso. It was so delicious that people would lick the plates clean, hence the name “Namerou” (literally, “licking”). Fishermen would take this Namerou with them when they went to work in the mountains, packing it into abalone shells and then steaming or grilling it in mountain huts. In the old dialect of Chiba, the suffix “ga” was used similarly to “no ie” (家), meaning “someone’s house.” So, the dish eaten at the mountain hut became known as “Sangayaki” – “the grilled dish from the mountain hut.” You can grill Namerou on its own on a griddle, or stuff it into scallop or abalone shells and grill it over a net. The key to delicious Sangayaki is to chop the fish sufficiently when making Namerou, until it gets nice and sticky. This makes the Sangayaki soft and fluffy when grilled, with an absolutely amazing flavor. It’s enjoyed as a side dish with rice or as a snack with drinks.

Cultural Background and Preservation

While Aji is available year-round, it’s said to be most delicious in early summer before spawning. Today, Sangayaki is enjoyed not only in Chiba but also in many other regions, and it’s a common menu item in izakayas (Japanese pubs) and seafood restaurants. The “Minamiboso Namerou Kenkyukai” (South Boso Namerou Research Group) was established in 2009 to promote Namerou and Sangayaki as local dishes of Minamiboso throughout the country. Restaurants that support this goal offer various creative Namerou dishes, so locals and tourists visiting Chiba can enjoy this local flavor.

Additional information:

• Namerou (なめろう): A dish made by finely chopping raw fish (typically aji, sardine, etc.) with miso, green onions, ginger, and other ingredients. The name comes from the verb “nameru” (舐める), meaning “to lick.”
• Sangayaki (さんが焼き): Grilled Namerou, often cooked in a shell or formed into patties. The name is derived from “sanga” (山家), meaning “mountain hut.”
• Aji (鯵): Horse mackerel.
• Saba (鯖): Mackerel.
• Iwashi (鰯): Sardine.
• Sanma (秋刀魚): Pacific saury.
• Izakaya (居酒屋): A Japanese-style pub or tavern.