Tekone Sushi - A Local Dish Representing Mie Prefecture's Ise-Shima Region

This video, titled "How to make "Tekone Sushi" - Traditional Japanese Cooking with Hazuki Kajiyama" (「手こね寿司」の作り方 | 梶山葉月の伝えていきたい日本の郷土料理), was uploaded by "Recipe Book TV" (レシピブックTV).
It introduces how to make tekone sushi.

Tekone sushi is a local dish that originated in the Ise-Shima region of Mie Prefecture.
Nowadays, along with Ise udon stores, it is one of the two most popular foods in Ise-Shima.
In this article, we'll will introduce a recipe and how to make delicious tekone sushi.
We'll also take a look at Japanese food culture a bit!

The video shows you how to make tekone sushi, with step-by-step instructions on how to make it.
Be sure to check out the video to see the tasty dish you'll be able to whip up!

Simple Tekone Sushi - How to Make the Local Dish of Ise-Shima, Mie!

Photo：Skipjack tuna fillet

Tekone sushi is characterized by the fact that it is, simply put, sushi that you don't hold.
Originally, it was made by placing fish fillets on top of sushi rice, but nowadays, the most common way to serve it is to sprinkle chopped seaweed over the top.
Due to its simplicity and how easy it is to make, it has become a popular standard dish in daily life. In the recipe presented in the video, the savory vegetables, including shiso, Japanese ginger, and welsh onions, are first cut and soaked in water.
Then, while the odor is being removed, you slice the tuna into small strips.
As you can see from 0:33 in the video, red meat fish is used, but you can use any fish you like and still get a delicious dish.

For the sauce, mix soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a ratio of 2:1:1, and then marinate the sashimi in the sauce.
As shown at 1:21 in the video, the sushi rice is made at the same time.
The key is to not only add vinegar, but also sugar and salt.
Once the sushi rice is done, top it with the shiso leaves, fish, and the rest of the vegetables in that order, and you're done!
It's a very simple recipe.

Easy and Delicious! Learn the Origins and History of Tekone Sushi!

Photo：Tekone sushi

From here, let's deepen our knowledge of the origins and history of tekone sushi!
The exact origins of tekone sushi aren't clear, but one theory is that a fisherman from Shima invented tekone sushi.
During his busy days fishing for skipjack tuna, he would quickly slice up one of the fish he caught and make it into a bowl like this.
It is a quick and easy way to eat skipjack tuna, and it's also rich in nutrients such as vitamin D, B vitamins, and iron, as well as EPA and DHA, which help to thin the blood.
It was like an all-purpose, nutritious fast food that could be eaten on the fly.

However, rice has been scarce in the Shima region since ancient times, and bonito was also caught in the surrounding seas, so there is a theory that the dish was eaten to celebrate a big catch, and was preserved as a celebratory dish.
In any case, because of its deep history and the fact that it is loved by many people, it was selected as one of the Top 100 Local Dishes of Rural Areas by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, and can be considered one of Japan's representative regional specialties.

Summary of Tekone Sushi, a Local Specialty of Ise-Shima, Mie

As shown in the video, tekone sushi is delicious and easy to make.

The unique, hand-made sushi is different from the normal sushi most people are used to and is one of the most important local dishes in Japan, which is why it's important to pass on recipes to future generations.
You can visit Ise-Shima and try it there or use this video/article to make some at home.
Try one of Japan's famous local specialties!