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🍱 Azara

Kesennuma City, located in Miyagi Prefecture, is well-known for its fresh fish. During winter, ocean perch is abundant due to its high fat content. "Azara", a popular dish made from this fish, has been enjoyed by the locals for a long time. The old pickled Chinese cabbage is fermented through long-term pickling, increasing the sourness of the cabbage. It is then stewed with fresh ocean perch and sake lees to create a dish that has a concentrated umami flavor. Recently, red rockfish, which is just as delicious as ocean perch due to its "umami-rich broth" and high-fat content, has become a popular alternative for azara. This is due to the decrease in catch and increase in the price of red rockfish.