微生物で解毒? 日本人の発酵への執念が生み出した珍味
猛毒を持つフグの卵巣を発酵させ、解毒して旨味いっぱいの珍味に変える。美川地域周辺に伝わる究極のレシピだ。まず1年ほど塩漬けにして、そこからさらに1〜2年ほど糠漬けにすることで猛毒のテトロドトキシンが無害化されていく。北陸では定番のへしこ技術がこんな風に応用されるとは…!塩漬けやへしこの樽のピンク色に輝くギャラクシーな発酵はインパクト大。物産品の開発に情熱を注いだ加賀藩のとんでもない発明品だ。
A delicacy born from the tenacious pursuit of the Japanese to expand the benefits gained from fermentation to the extent of utilizing microorganisms as detoxifiers!
Blowfish ovary is known to contain a deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin. The native residents of the Mikawa district have been long treasuring an ultimate recipe to detoxify the ovary through fermentation and change it into a delicacy filled with umami. The ancient originator of this recipe found out that by keeping the ovary in salt for a year or so, and pickling it further in bran for another year or two, the deadly tetrodotoxin will get purified. This was a discovery that would not have been found if the originator of this recipe did not attempt to apply the technique of heshiko (fish pickled in rice-bran paste) that was already widely popular in the Hokuriku region to ovary that was considered a deadly organ in the blowfish that nobody ever dared to eat. Fully fermented blowfish ovary emits a bright pink color that draws a sharp contrast with the rustic wooden barrel filled with the bed of salt or rice bran paste used for its pickling. This is an amazing invention of the people in Kaga clan that reflects their enormous amount of passion, imagination and tenacity to develop its own local specialties.
どう作って食べるか / HOW TO MAKE & EAT
❶フグから卵巣を取り出し、半年〜1年ほど塩漬けする。
❷塩漬けした卵巣を洗い、木桶に糠や米麹、唐辛子などとともに2年以上漬け込む。
★ 木桶で糠漬けする時に魚醤で味を整えることも。
❶Take out the ovary from the blowfish and rest it in salt for half a year to one whole year.
❷Wash the salt-pickled ovary and rest it further in a wooden barrel filled with rice bran, rice malt, and various spices including hot pepper for another two years or longer.
★ Fish sauce may also be added to adjust the seasoning effect when the salt-pickled ovary is transferred to the wooden barrel to rest for another two years or so in the bed of rice bran paste.
酒の肴として
お茶漬けとして
As an appetizer for sake
As a topping for ochazuke (rice with green tea)
▶食べられている地域 / Regions where it is eaten
北陸一帯Around Hokuriku
▶微生物の種類 / Types of microorganisms
謎の細菌類、麹菌、乳酸菌類、酵母類など
Various types of bacteria, Koji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae), lactic acid bacteria, yeast,etc.