🐟 Hatahata no Yuage (Poached Japanese sandfish)

Japanese sandfish are a scaleless, mild-flavored fish that are favored in the Shonai region as the taste of autumn. The sandfish come to the shores of Shonai around December to lay their eggs. For this reason, the sight of fisherman congregating on Sakatakita Pier and other such places is a characteristic winter scene. The size of the Japanese sandfish catch declined precipitously from around the end of the Showa period until the Heisei period. However, as a result of a joint effort by Yamagata Prefecture's fisherman to institute fishing limits and manage resources, the size of the sandfish catch is now on an upswing. Japanese sandfish will rush toward shallow water in large groups when the sea is rough and thunder sounds. For this reason, they are also known as “thunder fish.” “Poached Japanese sandfish” is a simple dish: poach the fish in a pot, splash on soy sauce or the like, and eat. The dish has a light flavor and is a go-to choice for cooking with sandfish. There are a wide variety of ways to cook with sandfish: in addition to poaching, it can be, among other things, fried, dried, or simmered with sauce. The Japanese sandfish is deeply connected to traditional events of the Shonai region. “During a celebration of the deity Daikoku-sama”, an event which takes places on December 9, there is an ongoing custom of eating sandfish with a miso glaze.