🍱 Trout Ankake

Trout Ankake is a springtime dish representative of the Shonai area. It is made from the most delicious of all trout, “Sakuramasu” or cherry trout. When cherry trout is young, they fight for their territory. The losing fish go down to the sea and become “Sakuramasu” or cherry trout, while the winning fish stay in the river to grow to become “yamame” or landlocked trout. The name “Sakuramasu” is said to come from the blooming of the cherry blossoms, which is the same time when these fish come back to the river after preparing nutrients for their spawning during the fall. Sakuramasu is one of the most iconic fishes of Yamagata Prefecture, and it was designated as the prefectural fish in 1992. “Trout Ankake” was first eaten during the Edo period. It is believed that the tradition of cooking with “Ankake”, a thick savory sauce, came to the Shonai region after being introduced by merchant ships passing through Osaka and Hokkaido. It is still a popular dish today for celebrations and special occasions. Since Ankake sauce uses sugar and kudzu flour, which were very scarce ingredients at the time, it was most likely that trout ankake was a dish served when entertaining house guests.