🍱 Wakame no shoyu-zuke (Marinated wakame seaweed with soy sauce)

Wakame seaweed is cultivated through aquaculture in all prefectures in Japan that have oceans. Yamaguchi Prefecture ranks 11th in the country for its landed quantity, and it is particularly abundant in cities like Hagi and Nagato (according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2017 'Sea Fishery Production Statistics Survey'). Especially in Hagi City, wakame is harvested in early spring. Hagi Bay features underwater rocky reefs called "Se" and "Guri", where the flow of seawater is disrupted by collisions with the flat sandy seabed, lifting up nutrient-rich sand and mud. Plankton thrives in this nutrient-rich environment, thanks to sunlight, and seaweeds like wakame grow exceptionally well. Additionally, migratory fish such as horse mackerel gather in the vast sea, providing habitats for sea urchins and turban shells. Various seaweeds, including wakame, are not only utilized as processed goods, with nori being made into sheet form and wakame into dried wakame, but also incorporated into dishes like the famous "Wakame-musubi," where chopped wakame is sprinkled on rice balls. Wakame is commonly prepared as a side dish at home, and "Wakame no shoyu-zuke" is one such dish.It is served raw, after being soaked in soy sauce to remove the bitterness, and is also a valuable preserved food".