Nodoguro no Himono - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

ShimaneNodoguro no Himono

Classification (Large)

Seafood products

Classification (Small)

Dried foods

Main ingredients used

blackthroat seaperch

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Region of inheritance

Hamada City

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Although the standard Japanese name for this fish is akamutsu, it is known throughout Japan as nodoguro due to the black color in its mouth. Nodoguro can be widely found from Hokkaido to Okinawa, but the nodoguro unloaded at the Hamada Fishing Harbor is famous nationwide for being fatty and delicious. The fish lives in waters some 200 m deep offshore from the San-in area, where there is an abundance of fatty plankton and crustaceans. As the fish is rarely caught, it is often served as a high-end fish for special occasions, even in the local region. It has white meat with a luxurious taste, and its fattiness makes it melt in your mouth. This makes it popular and prompting nicknames such as “white tuna belly” and “red jewel.” The fish is delicious all year round, but the nodoguro caught in autumn, when it is especially fatty, is excellent.
Local nodoguro dishes include sashimi and simmered dishes, but many enjoy the addictive dried nodoguro, which is dried overnight. Overnight drying does not expose the fish to sunlight, so the meat does not become oxidized and the flavor becomes highly concentrated. Excess moisture is trapped within the body, giving it a moist texture not found in other standard dried and grilled fish. It is highly recommended to grill it as-is to maximize and enjoy nodoguro’s umami.

History and culture

Nodoguro, which is a deep-water fish, was not immensely popular until the 1950s. However, in recent years it has become a prized delicacy throughout Japan among the ranks of snapper, flatfish, and tiger pufferfish. Hamada City established nodoguro as the city’s official fish in 2009, and is making efforts to brand it as such.

Production method

The meat of freshly-caught nodoguro is extremely soft. Strongly squeezing the fish may damage or dent the meat, so each fish is carefully gutted and bled by hand. As the meat is so soft, the saltiness of the brine used or soaking times for overnight drying depends on the size of the individual fish and the day’s temperature and humidity, as determined by experts. Along with the saltiness, drying times also need to be fine-tuned, as the taste and texture of the fish varies according to the drying process.

Conservation and succession efforts

Hamada City has established its very own seafood-branding strategic council to promote the nodoguro brand. Together with horse mackerel and flounder, the three fish types representing Hamada City have been dubbed the “Donchicchi Three Fishes,” and the city is working to spread information about the brand nationwide and protect the fishery resources. In detail, nodoguro that (1) are extremely fresh and caught offshore by trawlers and landed at Hamada Fishing Harbor and (2) weight more than 80 g, are certified as Donchicchi nodoguro and shipped as fish under this brand. Furthermore, in their efforts to maintain quality, the city has also launched a Donchicchi Traceability fishery catch/shipment website that discloses the who, when, where, and how the fish were caught.
Incidentally, donchicchi is a children’s way of expressing the sound of kagura music, and came to be a general term for Iwami kagura. The term expresses the wish to promote nodoguro far and wide along with Iwami kagura, which has been added to the Japan Heritage register.

Main consumption method

To fully enjoy the umami of dried nodoguro, it is best to grill and eat the fish as-is. If you want some variety in taste, adding soy sauce with grated daikon radish, or a dash of ponzu is recommended. Furthermore, to taste the umami of nodoguro itself, the tip is to grill it with salt or simmer the fish.

At-home recipes：Ochazuke with dried nodoguro

Ingredients

Dried nodoguro

1 pc.

Cooked rice

2 bowls

Koume (pickled small ume)

2 plums

Wasabi (tube)

Small amount

Green onion (cut into small pieces)

As needed

Shredded laver

As needed

Hot water

500 cc

Seaweed tea (powder)

2 teaspoons

How to make

Grill and flake dried nodoguro.

Put the flaked dried nodoguro, koume, wasabi, green onion, and shredded laver on top of cooked rice.

Dissolve seaweed tea powder in hot water, and pour over the rice and other ingredients prepared in 2 above.