Rice dishes ── Sushi
Moroko Zushi
Moroko zushi — a small freshwater fish simmered sweet and pressed onto sushi rice
Moroko, a small carp-family river fish, is simmered sweet and savory, then arranged diagonally over pressed sushi rice in a wooden frame. Said to be a form of hakozushi from the water towns of the Owari region, with dwindling moroko catches now sometimes substituted with hae.
- Origin: Aichi Nagoya
- About 270 km west of Tokyo
Lineage
What it's made of
Morokozushi is a boxed sushi made by simmering small carp-family fish called moroko in a sweet soy sauce, then arranging them diagonally over vinegared rice packed in a wooden mold and pressing it flat. It is a dish from the water-crossed lowlands of the Owari region, and moroko, once abundant there, are said to have already been eaten by the Edo period. In recent years catches have declined, and hae (a type of dace) is sometimes used in its place.
How it's made
Moroko are simmered gently in a sweet soy sauce so they don't fall apart, then arranged belly-up over vinegared rice packed in a wooden mold. A pressing lid is placed on top and pushed down firmly, and once removed from the mold, the sushi is cut into pieces. A sheet of haran leaf is laid between the mold and the rice to keep it from sticking. Shredded egg crepe is sometimes alternated in for color.
Why it took this shape
In the days when both rice and moroko were precious, hakozushi is said to have been a luxury made for festivals and celebrations. Arranging the toppings diagonally is thought to have been a way to make sure everyone shared equally in the different flavors. Changes in water quality are said to have reduced moroko catches, turning it into one of the pricier river fish.
Before you go
- How to read a vertical menuIn shops with strips of handwritten menu items on the wall, the top-right spot is often used for recommendations.
- How to use a convenience storeA quick guide to choosing rice balls and hot snacks, buying coffee, paying by cash, IC card, or tap payment, using the eat-in corner, and sorting your trash — the basics for a first visit.
- How to shop at a supermarketHow to choose prepared foods, sashimi, and packaged sushi, when discount stickers tend to appear, region-only specialties, buying by weight, the checkout and bagging flow, and sampling etiquette at a local supermarket.
Dishes in the same style
- Aburi-zushiNigiri with just its surface flash-seared by torch or hot iron. Unlike Edomae's shigoto curing for keeping, the searing here is done purely for the change in aroma and fat it brings — a relatively recent way of eating sushi.
- Aichi HakozushiVinegared rice is packed into a wooden frame, topped with shrimp, eel, shiitake, and egg arranged diagonally, and pressed. Placing toppings on the diagonal so everyone gets a fair share of each is said to be a feature of the Owari and western Mikawa style, made for celebrations.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Also from Aichi
- Funa MisoCrucian carp is simmered slowly with soybeans for around five hours, then finished in a sauce of red miso and coarse sugar. A freshwater fish dish of the Kiso rivers' lower basin, made with fatty winter carp simmered until the bones soften through.
- Gohei MochiFreshly cooked non-glutinous rice is pounded, pressed flat on a skewer, and grilled with a miso glaze. Said to have originated in the mountainous Chubu region, it's traditionally made the night before a festival praying for safety in mountain work.
- Hebo MeshiAdult and larval giant hornets are simmered sweet and savory, then folded into freshly cooked rice. Said to have served as a prized protein source across the mountains from Shinshu to Okumikawa, it's now more often served as a treat for guests.
- Iga ManjuSweet bean paste is wrapped in rice flour dough, then coated with dyed sticky rice grains. One account ties the name to the grains' resemblance to a chestnut's spiny husk, and in the western Mikawa region it's said to be offered to Hina dolls at the Doll Festival.
- Aichi Miso OdenA pot of sweet red miso sits in the center of the simmering pot, and daikon, tofu, and other ingredients simmered in dashi are dipped into it before eating. While soy-based Kanto-style oden spread in Edo, Aichi is said to have settled on dipping in soybean miso instead.