🍱 Gomadashi

Saiki City, the largest city in Kyushu, is known as a fishing town blessed with an abundance of seafood. Saiki City is responsible for approximately 70% of the prefecture's fisheries production, with aquaculture, especially yellowtail and flatfish, accounting for the majority of the prefecture's total production. Fishing boats are also active in the fishing industry, which includes seine netting, bottom trawling, boat seine netting, pole-and-line fishing, and even diving. A wide variety of fish are landed, including horse mackerels, prawns, and flatfish. Sardines are prized as "Saiki Iriko," a specialty of Saiki City. Gomadashi," or sesame dashi, is a traditional seasoning made from iso (a fish in the iso family) throughout the year and is eaten daily in Saiki City. It is made by mixing iso, which is landed throughout the year, with ground sesame, mirin, and other ingredients. The origin of this seasoning is not known, but it is said to be used to process the large amount of fish caught, or to save the fisherman's wife the trouble of making dashi (soup stock). Sesame dashi" is used in a variety of dishes, but locals generally eat it with udon noodles. In recent years, as it has become more difficult to obtain sea weeds, it is also made from horse mackerel, mackerel, sardines, and other fish.