🍱 Koushimeshi

Otsuki Town is a seaside town located in the southwestern part of the prefecture. In the town, agriculture such as rice cultivation, leaf tobacco cultivation, and horticulture are practiced, and fishing is practiced in the coastal area that forms a rias coastline. In one part of the town, there is a tuna aquaculture industry. The production of tuna is one of the highest in Japan. Koshi-meshi" is a dish that the people of Otsuki eat on New Year's Eve. Koshimeshi" is rice cooked with chirimenjako (dried baby sardines) and finely chopped fish, and is said to have started as "koshimeshi" and gradually changed to "koshimeshi. An indispensable part of koshimeshi is iwanori, which is mixed into the rice as a finishing touch. Iwanori is called "menori" in this region. During the cold winter months, people dip themselves chest-deep in the sea to gather menori. Although the menori pickers wear "yanza," a cotton garment made of stitching, it is still cold in the frigid sea. In the port city of Sukumo, menori is also used to make a rice dish. This dish is called "momoburi," and consists of cooked daikon radish, burdock root, carrots, and other ingredients mixed with rice and topped with lightly roasted menori. The word "moburi" is derived from "to smear.