🍱 Hatahata zushi

Originally a deep-sea fish, hata-hata originally came to be called hata-hata because they appear in large schools in nearby waters only during their spawning season, when the sea is rough and thunder rumbles, hence the name "hatahatagami," an old word for thunderbolt. It is also known as the thunderfish. Hata-hata is sung in the folk song "Akita Ondo," and is so deeply rooted in the lives of the people of the prefecture that it is said, "I can't celebrate the New Year without hata-hata. In the past, the annual catch of hatahata used to exceed 10,000 tons, but overfishing and changes in the temperature of the Sea of Japan have reduced the catch, and now it is regarded as a luxury fish. As is typical of Akita, a rice-producing region, hata-hata sushi, made with rice and plenty of malted rice, is an essential part of Akita's food culture among hata-hata dishes. There are slight differences in the method of preparation depending on the region. The method of immediately marinating hatahata in salt has been handed down from generation to generation. The method of soaking the grouper in water for a while to remove the sliminess and blood before processing it is a method that produces grouper sushi with a clean taste and no odor, with just the right amount of sweetness from the malted rice. This method has been handed down to the present day.