🍱 Kujaku

Saiki City, located in southeastern Oita Prefecture, is the largest city in Kyushu with an area of 903.12 km2. The city is divided into a mountainous area stretching from the Kyushu Mountains, a plain area spreading downstream from the Banjo River, a first-class river, and a coastal area on a rias coast. During the Seinan War of 1877 (Meiji 10), the mountainous area bordering Miyazaki Prefecture became a battleground. Part of Saigo's army, led by Saigo Takamori, also invaded Saiki city. The ruins of platforms can still be seen in the Ume and Naokawa areas. Kujaku" in Saiki City is a deep-fried boiled egg with the white part colored red, wrapped in a paste of white fish paste colored green. The name "Kujaku" comes from the vivid colors of green, red, white, and yellow when the egg is cut in half, and from the fact that the cross-section of the egg resembles the pattern on the wings of a Kujaku. It is a local dish unique to Saiki City, located near the Bungo Channel, which is blessed with an abundance of seafood. Since long ago, surimi and other processed fish products have often been made from fish landed in the city so as not to waste the fish. Eso (Japanese pike conger) is often used for surimi, but because it has many small bones, it is not distributed as sashimi or grated into three pieces, but as surimi or kamaboko (fish paste). It is a familiar seafood to the residents of Oita Prefecture. The colorful and gorgeous "Kujaku" has been eaten at New Year's and other festive occasions.