🍲 Simmered igami (Japanese parrotfish)

Commonly known as “budai”, igami (Japanese parrotfish) is a typical inshore fish that can be found in the southern regions of Wakayama Prefecture. Igami has a distinctive fishy smell in summer, but from fall through winter, the smell disappears due to the fish's staple food of seaweed found on rocky shores, and its thick white flesh is plump and succulent. In Tonda in Shirahama Town and around Tanabe City, it is customary to eat boiled whole igami instead of sea bream during the New Year. Igami is also a key part of fish dishes served during festivals. It is said that the name “budai” originated from a saying that “lords would eat tai (sea bream), and the common people would make do with fish that had “tai” in its name”. Igami was not a particularly popular fish for eating, but it is thought that it gained popularity because of its delicious taste.