🍲 Ei no Nikogori (Stewed Ray dish)

"Ei no nikogori" is a stewed ray dish with sweet and spicy sauce. It is a standard local dish in the Katsuragi area and other areas in the prefecture. The gelatinous substance of the ray dissolves into the broth when it is boiled, and when it cools down, it hardens into a jelly-like substance. This jelly-like dish is called nikogori, which this ray stew dish's name came from. The Katsuragi area had long been in close contact with Osaka's Kawachi district. When fish landed in Osaka, they arrived quickly via the Takenouchi Highway, making it possible to enjoy the freshest seafood. In particular, rays, which produce an ammonia smell when they are no longer fresh, were used to make this dish. Ray stew was also served at autumn festivals. "Noppei" and this "Ei no nikogori" were also eaten at the Onmatsuri Festival held at the Wakamiya Shrine of the Kasuga Grand Shrine in Nara.