🍱 Kyabetsu to Masu no Tsukemono (Cabbage and Trout Pickles)

In the central and southern inland parts of Tsugaru region, fresh seafood was hard to come by in the past. For this reason, fish were considered a delicacy. During the winter, the Tsugaru area experiences about four months of heavy snow and pickles were an important source of vegetables, which is why there are so many different types of pickles from this area. Salted trout used for “Kyabetsu to masu no tsukemono” was preserved over the winter and eaten daily with white rice. The flesh of the trout was baked and the remaining “ara” (=remains of the fish) was used to make pickles or a soup called “Shirani” (=made with the remains of fish, white potatoes, Japanese leeks, and salt). The remains of fish were important sources of protein, and this is used when making “Kyabetsu to masu no tsukemono”. Using the entire fish was a good way to avoid food waste.