🍱 Teppai

The freshwater crucian carp found in reservoirs scattered throughout the Sanuki Plain are also referred to as teppo. Teppo-ae, or Teppai, is a salad consisting of chopped green onions mixed with crucian carp that is filleted, thinly sliced, sprinkled with salt and vinegar, then seasoned with a vinegar-miso sauce containing daikon radish and Sanuki white miso. This taste of Sanuki is an essential drinking accompaniment or side dish. Until recently in Kagawa prefecture, where rainfall is low, reservoirs were mainly used to supply irrigation water for agriculture. There are over 10,000 reservoirs in the prefecture, and it has the highest density of reservoirs in Japan relative to the total area of the prefecture (Kagawa prefecture website). These reservoirs are inhabited by crucian carp, and from autumn to winter, when the reservoirs are drained after the busy farming season, the carp begin to spawn and become firm and fatty, without the odor typically associated with freshwater fish. It is referred to as "Kanbuna" (winter carp), and has long been an valuable protein source in the diet of people in agricultural and rural areas far from the sea. Teppai is a dish that makes the most of the delicious flavor of winter carp. The season for crucian carp is winter. The fattiness, lack of odor, and firmness make is so delicious that it is given the name "Kanbuna" (winter carp). Even today, crucian carp are cultivated in about 300 reservoirs in the prefecture. With one of the highest production volumes in the country, they are not only sold within the prefecture as a regional cuisine, but also shipped outside the prefecture. The name "Teppai" is said to come from a regional pronunciation of the "Teppo-ae," with teppo being another name for crucian carp.