Toyama Local Cuisine:

Alright, folks, let me tell you about a real treat from Toyama Prefecture: Kabura-zushi! This isn’t your everyday sushi; it’s a unique fermented dish that perfectly balances the tang of pickled turnips with the richness of fish. It’s a winter delicacy and a must-have for New Year’s celebrations. This dish has some deep roots, and it’s a delicious example of how local folks make the most of what they’ve got. Let’s dive in!

Dish Name: Kabura-zushi

• Region / Location: Western part of Toyama Prefecture
• Primary Area of Tradition: Western part of Toyama Prefecture
• Main Ingredients: Turnips, yellowtail (or other fish like mackerel), carrots, and koji (sweet sake rice malt)

How It’s Eaten / Served

To make Kabura-zushi, the turnips are peeled thickly, and the tender core is used. They are cut into about 2-centimeter-thick slices, and a slit is made in the center. After salting them and letting them sit overnight, sliced mackerel is挟む (hasamu – sandwiched) into the turnip slices. Then, in a barrel, layers of koji, turnips with mackerel, carrots, yuzu, and shredded ginger are arranged alternately. A lid is placed on top, and a weight is applied. It’s ready to eat after about two weeks of fermentation.

Cultural Background and Preservation

Kabura-zushi is a type of narezushi, where salt-pickled turnips are slit and filled with yellowtail (or other fish), then fermented with koji. The balance of acidity and umami is exquisite. It’s a winter delicacy and an indispensable part of New Year’s dishes. While it’s also a familiar local dish in Ishikawa Prefecture, passed down since the Kaga Domain era, the western part of Toyama Prefecture was also once part of the Kaga Domain. Because of this, it shares many cultural connections with Kaga, and Kabura-zushi has become established as a local flavor.

There are various theories about its origin, including one that it was among the dishes served when the lord of the Maeda Domain visited Fukatani Onsen (Kanazawa City) for hot spring therapy. Another theory suggests it began when farmers hid yellowtail, which was only eaten by samurai at the time, inside turnips to eat it without being seen. The Tonami Plain, spanning Tonami City and Nanto City, is famous as a turnip-producing area, and turnip cultivation starts after rice harvesting. Large turnips weighing over 1 kg are harvested every year in late October. In Toyama, fish other than yellowtail, such as mackerel, salmon, and trout, are also used.

After the turnip harvest, Kabura-zushi making becomes a full-scale operation in manufacturers and homes from late November. The large turnips harvested in Toyama during this season are characterized by their juiciness and concentrated sweetness from the cold. It has been eaten in many homes as a celebratory dish for New Year’s since ancient times. Kabura-zushi is a winter delicacy, but there’s also Daikon-zushi, which can be enjoyed year-round using daikon radish instead of turnips.

In recent years, the number of households making it at home has decreased compared to the past. However, various manufacturers sell Kabura-zushi in winter, so the food culture itself is still being passed down. Additionally, more people are giving it as a gift at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. Kabura-zushi making workshops are also held to convey the local flavor to the younger generation, and convenient Kabura-zushi kits are sold for those who make it at home.

Additional information:

• Narezushi (なれずし): The oldest form of sushi, where fish is fermented with rice. In Kabura-zushi, turnips are used instead of rice for fermentation.
• Koji (麹): Rice that has been inoculated with a mold called Aspergillus oryzae. It’s used in making sake, soy sauce, miso, and other fermented foods. In Kabura-zushi, it aids the fermentation process.
• Umami (旨味): One of the five basic tastes, often described as a savory or meaty flavor.
• Yuzu (柚子): A Japanese citrus fruit with a distinctively aromatic flavor.
• Daikon (大根): A large white radish commonly used in Japanese cuisine.