🍱 Heshiko
Many are under the impression that fresh seafood cannot be obtained in Kyoto, but the Tango area facing the Sea of Japan is blessed with fertile fishing grounds thanks to the warm currents from Tsushima and the rivers flowing through the Tango Peninsula and Tamba plateau mountains. For example, the fishing industry in Kyoto Prefecture is wide-ranging, including fixed net fishing, offshore trawling, small boat trawling, shellfish farming, and longline fishing. A variety of seafood can be caught, such as snow crab, egg cockle, and amberjack. The fishermen have a custom of drying the seasonal fish they catch to use at home, and this is a tradition that continues to this day. Dried fish, dried sardines, and dried seaweed are well known as Tango specialties. "Heshiko" is eaten throughout the Tango area, especially in the town of Ine. "Heshiko" is a preserved food made by pickling fish such as mackerel and sardines in rice bran and salt for a long period of time. There are various theories about the origin of the name, such as that fishermen referred to the act of pickling fish in a barrel as "heshikomu," which was then shortened to "heshiko." "Heshiko" is richer in umami than raw mackerel before it is processed. The unique flavor and saltiness go well with rice and alcoholic drinks. The "heshiko" made in Ine uses domestic, Canadian, or Norwegian mackerel, which contain a lot of fat.