🍱 Battera

Oshizushi is made by layering thinly sliced vinegared mackerel and shiroita konbu on top of vinegared rice and pressing them in a wooden frame. In contrast to the nigirizushi of the Edo period (1603-1867), pressed sushi in a box or wooden frame is the norm in the Kansai region. Battera is the most popular taste among them. It is a local dish filled with Osaka's unique culture of pressed sushi and kelp, and is very familiar to residents of the prefecture. Battera was invented in 1894 by a restaurant called "Sushi Tsune" in Minami-Semba. The name "battera," which means "small boat" in Portuguese, was derived from the boat-like shape of the half-meat sushi, which was originally made from konoshiro (whitebait) commonly caught in Osaka Bay. The name "batterella" was derived from the Portuguese word for "small boat." It was gradually replaced by the inexpensive mackerel, and the square box shape was also used for the pressed molds. In Osaka, shiroita-konbu is sometimes called batterella-konbu.