🍱 Paita Yaki

This is a fisherman dish grilled minced pacific saury or sardine mixed with miso and Japanese leek. "Paita" is a paddle to row boats. In the days when boats were rowed by hand, sailors minced and grilled fish on the flat part of a paddle, which is said to be how the word “kai-ita” (paddle board) came to be called "paita." In Chiba Prefecture, there are several dishes made from chopped horse mackerel mixed with condiments like "Namerou" or "Sanga-yaki". Likewise, there are local dishes with chopped fish and flavor it like "Paita-yaki" in other prefectures. As the catch of pacific saury and sardine is high in Ibaragi Prefecture, these fish are used as an ingredients. Especially in Nakaminato area, the catch of pacific saury is high, it is popular as a local home food. Since the catch of pacific saury is decreasing and it is getting expensive these days, they often use sardine instead.