🍲 Kutsuzoko-no-nitsuke (Simmered Sole)

The Ariake Sea is surrounded by four prefectures in Kyushu. The sea bottom is muddy and shallow, with an average depth of about 20 m. It is home to the largest tidal flat in Japan, and is a bountiful sea inhabited by endemic species. Among the many species of fish that can be landed here is the sole. In the Ariake area, sole is called kutsuzoko. The sole has a unique appearance, with a flat, long, slender body that looks like a kutsuzoko (sole) hence the name. Locals call the black-skinned kuroshita and the reddish one akashita. The kuroshita has tighter flesh and is more expensive.