🍡 Koi no Kanroni(Sweetened Boiled Carp)

Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture flourishes in carp production. In the Meiji Period, water was drawn from Inawashiro Lake to make ponds, and families of samurai lineage began raising carp in reservoirs in various places, multiplying the production output. Additionally, since silkworm culture was also flourishing, "silkworm pupae", which were the food for carp, were also easy to obtain, which became another reason for increased production. Carp raised in the clean water of Inawashiro Lake had less of a bad smell, and were frequently shipped outside the prefecture to places like Yamagata, Akita and Nagano. While carp is used in many dishes such as karaage and ankake, "koi no kanroni" (sweetened boiled carp) is made by stewing a great deal of sugar, syrup, soy sauce and sake together for a salty-sweet taste which covers any of the carp's bad smell and makes for a dish packed with flavor.