🍚 Sake Zushi (Sushi made with Seasonal Ingredients and Local Sake)
"Sake zushi" was first said to be made during the Edo period when the Shimazu clan ruled the Satsuma Domain. It is said that the dish was made with leftover food and sake after cherry blossom viewing parties. A feudal lord of the clan put the leftovers in a sushi bucket and the following day, the ingredients were fermented and smelled delicious. The dish is similar to "oshizushi" (=pressed sushi) and is made with seasonal ingredients from the sea or mountains. The ingredients are sprinkled with sake and left to ferment for about half a day. Locally brewed sake "akumochizake" (=sake with ash) is used to make "sake zushi." "Akumochizake" (=sake with ash) is made by adding lye to the mash in the process of making sake and then squeezing it out. The name "akumochizake" comes from the fact that the sake is made to last longer with lye because this process enhances its shelf life. In Kagoshima Prefecture, this sake is used in place of mirin (=sweet rice wine) and is also enjoyed as "otoso" (=spiced medicinal sake served during New Year's). Kagoshima prefecture has a warm climate and because of this, the production of refined sake was not suitable. Instead, "akumochizake" (=sake with ash) was produced in large amounts. "Akumochizake" (=sake with ash) is made without being heated and so it is full of amino acids, organic acids, and minerals, which makes the "sake zushi" flavorful.