🍱 Sazaemeshi/Sazaebeshi

About 50km north of Wajima Port in Wajima City. On Hegurajima, a remote island in the Sea of Japan, female abalone divers (ama divers) are engaged in free-dive fishing. These women divers wear black wetsuits and goggles to catch turban shells and abalone with their hands. It's said that turban shell fishing by these female divers has a history of more than 400 years. Wajima City is trying to brand turban shells caught on Hegurajima and Nanatsushima as “Wajima ama-caught turban shells.” In 2018, “Wajima's ama fishing technique” was designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset of the country. “Wajima ama-caught turban shells” stand out for their large size and chewy texture. Since turban shells live on reefs and rocky areas, it's difficult for sand to enter the shell. Since they're carefully picked one by one, they're less likely to get scratched. Turban shells are not only eaten as sashimi or grilled in their own shell, but also as “sazaemeshi” boiled rice and “sazaebeshi” pickled in rice malt.