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【47 Hakko Oita】大分のうるか Uruka 〜鮎でつくるブルーチーズ城下町のまるごと塩辛〜

鮎でつくるブルーチーズ城下町のまるごと塩辛
大分の天領(天皇の直轄地)、日田は瀟洒な川の街。付近で獲れる鮎を塩辛にしたものがうるかだ。通常うるかは内臓だけを使うのだが、日田では細かく刻んだ身も一緒に漬けこむ。発酵作用によって寄生虫のリスクを取り除く優れた加工技術だ。中でも鮎料理の名店、春光園の何年も熟成させたうるかは生臭さが完全に消失し、ブルーチーズのような芳香漂うエレガントな風味だ。日本酒はもちろん、ワインなどとあわせても絶品。これを食べるためだけに日田に行っても惜しくない。

The blue cheese made from ayu fish, a true shiokara from a castle town
Hita in Oita, which once flourished under direct administration of Edo Period Shogunate, is an elegant riverside town. The ayu fish that are caught in the nearby waters are made into uruka, a variation on shiokara (a Japanese dish made of salted fish innards). Uruka is normally made only with the organs of a fish, but in Hita the finely chopped flesh of the fish is also used. Fermentation is an excellent method by which to remove the risk of parasites that would otherwise be present. Among restaurants specializing in ayu dishes, Shunkoen is one of the most renowned. It features an uruka that has been matured over a period of years, to the point where its odor has completely disappeared, leaving a dish with an elegant taste and an aroma akin to that of blue cheese. It is an essential accompaniment not only to sake, but also to drinks such as wine. It is worth a trip to Hita just to try this delicacy.

どう作って食べるか / HOW TO MAKE & EAT

❶鮎の内臓を洗ってミンチ状にし、ほぐした身と混ぜて塩で漬け込む。
★1週間で終わる場合から春光園のように数年熟成させる場合まで、漬け込み方はつくる人の好みによる。

❶Wash and then mince the innards of ayu fish. Mix in the pulverized flesh of the fish, then pickle the mixture in salt.
★ Pickling methods vary widely among producers, from some who pickle the uruka for as little as a week, to others such as Shunkoen, who employ several years’ long process.

酒のアテとして
As an accompaniment to alcohol

食べられている地域 / Regions where it is eaten
九州一帯、岐阜など
Throughout Kyushu and Gifu

微生物の種類 / Types of microorganisms
乳酸菌類、その他細菌類など
Lactic acid bacteria and a variety of other bacteria, etc.

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