🍱 Barazushi
"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.