Nishin no Sansho-zuke

【The taste where the northern sea meets the mountains of Aizu】 The wisdom of our ancestors embodied in "Pickled Herring with Sansho"

An essential dish on the dining table of Aizu, shining in amber color. That is "Pickled Herring with Sansho." For the inland Aizu, surrounded by steep mountains, sea fish was once extremely precious. How to make the "dried herring" caught in the distant seas of Hokkaido delicious and preserve it for a long time? This dish, born from that earnest desire, is the "supreme preserved food" created by the patience and rich sensibility of the people of Aizu.

■ The aroma of budding enhances the "aged umami"

The star of this dish is the vibrant collaboration of herring and "sansho leaves."

• Wrapped in a refreshing breeze: In spring, the young leaves of sansho burst forth all at once. Their refreshing aroma and spicy kick soften the strong fat of the herring and bring out its deep umami.
• Together with the traditional "Aizu Hongō ware": In a local traditional craft, the Hongō ware "herring bowl," alternate layers of dried herring and sansho leaves are pickled in soy sauce, sake, vinegar, and sugar. The waiting time for the flavors to seep in over several days is truly a time to await the magic of nature.

■ Enjoying with local sake, Aizu's "Makoto"

With each bite, the concentrated flavors of the sea and the aroma of the mountains spread throughout the mouth.

• The ultimate sake companion: The pairing with Aizu's robust local sake such as "Suehiro" and "Tsurunoe" is exceptional. The sake enhances the umami of the herring, while the herring accentuates the sharpness of the sake. This perfect harmony deepens and enriches your travel nights.

The aesthetics of preservation devised to survive in a harsh natural environment. Would you like to slowly savor the "meeting of mountains and sea" that has been passed down over a thousand years, along with the weight of Aizu's history?