🍱 Jakogouko

This is a local dish made by soaking local specialty Senshu mizu-nasu in a bed of salted water, removing the salt, and cooking them with small prawns in a sweet and spicy sauce. In some areas, it is also called "jako-nasu. It has long been eaten in the Senshu area in southern Osaka Prefecture. In the Senshu area, "jako" means shrimp jako (small shrimp) and "kouko" means pickles. Ebijako is a shrimp similar to shiba-ebi (small shrimp) caught in Osaka Bay, and is characterized by its ability to produce a good broth. The old pickles are made by soaking the eggplant in a highly salted bed of rice bran for two to three months to allow fermentation to continue. The flavor of the shrimp soaks into the eggplant and goes well with both rice and sake. It is also an excellent source of calcium and protein.