🍲 Moro no Nitsuke( Salmon Shark Stew)

The salmon shark or moro, as it is called in Tochigi, is caught off the coast of northern Ibaraki, Fukushima, and Miyagi. Made by simmering salmon shark in soy sauce and sugar to make it tender, Moro no Nitsuke is a home-cooked dish well-known in Tochigi. Shark dishes were commonly consumed in inland areas far from the sea and were a valuable source of protein for the folks there. This is because shark meat was neither popular nor widely consumed by people near fishing ports where sharks were caught. Sharks store uric acid in their bodies, which disperses and turns into ammonia when they die, making them less prone to spoilage. This made sharks perfect for transporting to inland areas where fresh seafood was scarce, and they were highly valued in inland areas as the only type of fresh fish they could get from the sea. In addition to moro, sagambo (Pacific spiny dogfish) is also eaten in Tochigi, and both have become traditional local flavors that are often served in Tochigi households.