🍱 Iwashi no unohana zuke(Pickled sardines with soy pulp)

While Ibaraki Prefecture is renowned as one of the most agricultural prefectures in Japan, it is also a fishery prefecture. The offshore areas of the prefecture are rich in fishing grounds where the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents intersect, and a variety of seafood is landed every season. The Otsu and Hiragata fishing ports in Kitaibaraki City catch a large amount of mackerel and sardines, and the Otsu fishing port is the largest net fishing port in the prefecture, boasting an annual catch of several tens of thousands of tons. The mackerel and sardines are caught and eaten fresh as sashimi or grilled and are also processed into dried and canned fish. In Ibaraki Prefecture, which is blessed with such seafood, one of the local dishes that has long been popular is pickled sardines with soy pulp. The fresh sardines, which are abundantly available, are preserved for a long time by marinating them in a mixture of vinegar and soy pulp, therefore the dish has been valued locally as a preserved food.