Ago no yaki is a large chikuwa (tube-shaped fish cake) from Tottori Prefecture made from flying fish surimi. In Tottori Prefecture, flying fish is called ago, and the product is also popular under the name ago chikuwa. Ordinary chikuwa is made from fish such as Alaska pollock, shark, and Okhotsk atka mackerel (hokke), but ago no yaki is made from flying fish. The grilled skin is fairly firm and fragrant, and it makes a crisp crackling sound when you cut into it with a knife. It is darker in color than ordinary chikuwa, and people seeing it for the first time reportedly sometimes take it for a black chikuwa. It has a satisfying chew and lets you enjoy the full flavor of flying fish. Besides being torn by hand or bitten into whole, it is eaten as a snack with sake, dipped in wasabi soy sauce or ginger soy sauce. It is also used as an ingredient in clear soups and for making stock. Flying fish are in season in early summer, and ago no yaki is also enjoyed as an early summer delicacy. It is also popular as a souvenir for people from outside the prefecture.
Origin
The name 'ago' can be found in documents from more than 400 years ago, but its etymology is unknown. Flying fish come to the San'in coast from around May to July to spawn. In Tottori Prefecture, they have been caught using the traditional 'ago makiami' (purse seine) fishing method. In the prefecture's ago fishery, a method is used in which dozens of white buri-ita boards are attached to ropes to lure the fish, which are then hauled in. Nearly 180 tons are landed each year, and the species caught are hoso-tobiuo (maru-ago) and tsukushi-tobiuo (kaku-ago).
History
Materials from the Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Agricultural Administration Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries describe ago no yaki as being processed and produced in the central part of Tottori Prefecture and areas to the west, and as popular as a souvenir. In Tottori City in the eastern part of the prefecture, too, there are fish-paste shops that make ago chikuwa. On the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 'Uchi no Kyodo Ryori' (Our Regional Cuisine) pages, it is listed under the name 'ago chikuwa' as a dish handed down throughout the prefecture. In neighboring Shimane Prefecture, production and sales are also thriving under the name 'ago noyaki' (あご野焼き).
Features
Ago no yaki is low in fat with a light, clean flavor and is said to be high in protein. One production method described involves slowly steaming the surimi at a low temperature and finally grilling the surface until crisp to bring out a fragrant aroma. It is darker in color than ordinary chikuwa, with a slightly firm texture and plenty of volume. Some products are sold still on their bamboo sticks.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
At shiromite (celebration after rice planting), an event once held upon finishing rice planting, ago sashimi and ago no yaki were eaten as feast dishes. Even today, at banquets, it is valued as a snack to go with sake that can be served right away.
Famous Shops
前田商店カンパニー（味の散歩道まえた）
鳥取県鳥取市福部町海士20-1
A fish-paste maker founded in 1921 (Taisho 10) that also produces ago chikuwa. In tourism information it is introduced as the direct sales shop 味の散歩道まえた, where ago chikuwa and tofu chikuwa are popular. Factory tours are also offered, by reservation only.
View details →とうふちくわの里 ちむら 布袋店
鳥取県鳥取市河原町布袋556
A shop of 株式会社ちむら (Chimura Co., Ltd.), known for Tottori's specialty tofu chikuwa, which also sells ago chikuwa made from flying fish surimi. Its handmade chikuwa made without preservatives is said to be a distinguishing feature. On a tourism information site, ago chikuwa on a bamboo stick is introduced at about 648 yen.
FAQ
Q. Are ago no yaki and ago chikuwa the same thing?
A. They refer to the same thing. Materials from the Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Agricultural Administration Office describe chikuwa made from flying fish as 'ago no yaki' and note that it is also called 'ago chikuwa.' On the regional cuisine pages of Tottori Prefecture and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, it is listed under the name 'ago chikuwa.' In Shimane Prefecture, it is also made under the name 'ago noyaki.'