Bouze no Sugatazushi (Whole Butterfish Sushi)

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Bouze no Sugatazushi is a pressed sushi that has been made in Tokushima Prefecture as a feast for autumn festivals. 'Bouze' is the Tokushima name for the white-fleshed fish whose standard Japanese name is ibodai (Japanese butterfish). The bouze is split open along the back, its bones and innards are removed, and it is cured with salt and vinegar before being wrapped around sushi rice shaped to match the size of the fish. Its defining feature is that it is finished in the fish's whole form, from head to tail. Citrus aromas typical of Tokushima are also put to use, for example by adding yuzu vinegar to the vinegar mixture or garnishing with slices of sudachi (citrus). Bouze comes to the coasts of Tokushima Prefecture from summer to autumn and is caught in abundance around the time of the autumn festivals. On festival days it was served alongside sekihan (red bean rice), kakimaze-zushi (mixed sushi) and clear soup. Each household is said to have its own way of making it, but in recent years there have been fewer occasions to make it at home. In autumn, sugatazushi (whole-fish sushi) and nigiri made with bouze are sold at supermarkets, sushi shops and farmers' markets.