🍱 Hokki-meshi

Hokki-gai is a large bivalve molluscs whose formal name is Uba-gai, and is called the "king of shellfish" because of its size and taste. Hokki-gai is rich in vitamin B12, which is one of the highest in seafood. Vitamin B12 aids in the production of hemoglobin in red blood cells and also helps maintain normal neurotransmission from the brain. It is also rich in taurine, which is expected to reduce cholesterol, improve heart and liver function, restore eyesight, promote insulin secretion, and prevent high blood pressure. The season is from winter to spring. Hokkaido produces the largest amount of Hokki-gai in Japan, but the Isohama fishing port in Yamamoto Town has long boasted the largest catch in the prefecture. In Yamamoto Town, the fishing cooperative's resource management regulations stipulate that the catch size must be 9.5 cm or larger, and the large Hokki-gai are prized as high-end sushi items, and the flavorful "Hokki-meshi" rice is a local delicacy. "Hokki-meshi" is made by boiling raw Hokki-gai in a soy sauce-based sauce and serving them on top of rice cooked in the sauce. It is one of the home-style dishes unique to Yamamoto Town, where Hokki fishing is thriving. This home-style dish has gradually become a local delicacy, and is now one of the town's representative local dishes.