Kokerazushi Sushi

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Kokera Sushi (kokerazushi)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: All Summer
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation


kokerazushi 柿鮓 / こけら寿司 / 柿寿司 / こけら鮨
"wood shingled sushi", layered sushi


kokera 柿 shingle for a roof, mostly from cedar wood. They give beautiful curves to the roof of a temple
. . . CLICK here for Photos !

kokera (uroko) 鱗 scales of a fish or snake


It is a kind of boxed sushi that was so large, it had to be parted with layers of bamboo leaves.

Fish and vegetables are sliced thinly and placed on a square piece of sushi rice.

When a roof of a new house was finished, this food was given to all who had participated in the making.

Eaten for auspicious occasions and festivals.





Kokerazushi from Muroto, Tosa


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岡山 蒜山 の　こけらずし　Okayama



In Okayama prefecture, it is eaten for the autumn festival.

In former times, fish from the port of Uno 宇野 in Tottori was pickled in salt and carried over the mountains via Tsuyama to Okayama town.
The fish was mostly saba mackerels, iwashi sardines and shiira, dolphin fish (Coryphaena hippurus).



When the carrier women came with their loads in two baskets dangling from bamboo poles, they stopped by every home, sold some fish and talked about their adventures back home and on the way ... like a delicious news delivery.

Now many families in the area of Hiruzen in Okayama prefecture still preserve the tradition of eating shiira fish on sushi, especially for the autumn festival season.

shiira dolphin fish Goldmakrele, Dorade, mahimahi
(not to mix with the mammal "dolphin" iruka)


The fish is about 1 meter long and for a sushi half of the fish is used. That is enough for 120 pieces of sushi.

Preparations start five days before the festival, to make sure the fish is "well done". It is marinated in sweetened vinegar (amazu) for two days, and then the sushi is prepared and let to mature for another two days. The sushi rice contains more vinegar that for a normal sushi.
Recipes are handed down from housewife to daughter in law.

This sushi is also prepared for wedding ceremonies and other auspicious days, since the fish can now be bought at the supermarket at any time.


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU and SENRYU


kokerazushi -
our whole family gathers for
the autumn festival

Nakayama Hanako, Okayama 2002


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Related words

***** WASHOKU : FISH and SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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