🍱 Sasa Kamaboko no Isobeage

Miyagi prefecture is rich in fishing grounds, with fishing ports in Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, Shiogama, and Yuriage, and large amounts of fish such as flounder, sea bass, and sea bream have been caught there since the middle of the Meiji period. In those days, when transportation was not as developed as it is today, "Grilled Kamaboko" emerged as a method for preservation. Until then, each household would mince white fish into a paste, shape it with their palm, then grill it on a bamboo skewer, and this eventually entered the market as a food product. At the time it was referred to as "Tenohira (Palm) Kamaboko" or "Bero (Tongue) Kamaboko," but it later came to be called "Sasa (Bamboo) Kamaboko" in connection to the "Take ni Suzume (Bamboo and Sparrow)" Date clan family crest of the former Sendai domain, and it was unified into "Sasa Kamaboko" at the start of the Showa period. Since then, there has been a dramatic drop in the catch of flounder and other fish, so other white-fleshed fish such as walleye pollock are used today instead. Now, they are mainly processed into fish paste and flash frozen while still fresh on the fishing boat. It is gaining popularity as a health food due to its light flavor, high-quality protein, and low calorie count. Thanks to advances in packaging technology and transportation speed in recent years, Sasa Kamaboko is widely beloved as a local specialty and souvenir representing Miyagi prefecture. There are over 40 manufacturers of various sizes in Miyagi prefecture, each offering many products featuring their own unique concepts. In addition to eating it plain, it is also eaten in arranged dishes such as kakiage, oden stew, and tempura.