Satsuma (Fish and Barley Miso Soup over Rice)
Satsuma (Grilled Fish and Barley Miso Soup over Rice)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Satsuma is a cold soup passed down in the Nanyo (southern Ehime) region of Ehime Prefecture that is eaten poured over rice. The flesh of grilled white fish is flaked and ground together with barley miso, toasted over a flame to bring out a fragrant aroma, and then thinned with dashi broth made from the fish bones. This is poured over warm barley rice and eaten with toppings such as green onion, konnyaku and mandarin orange peel. It is known throughout Nanyo, including Yawatahama City and Uwajima City, and is also called 'Iyo Satsuma' or 'Uwajima Satsuma.' It is said to have begun when fishermen on their boats made the fish they had caught into a thick miso soup and poured it over rice, and it was also a way to make dry, crumbly barley rice tasty. Besides sea bream, the fish used varies by area, including lizardfish, horse mackerel and barracuda, and in mountain areas iriko (dried anchovies) and river fish have also been used. It goes down smoothly and is easy to eat even in summer, when appetites tend to flag.
Origin
According to school lunch materials from Ehime Prefecture, satsuma was originally a fishermen's dish and is said to have begun when freshly caught fish were put into a thick miso soup on the boat and poured over rice. In Uwajima City and Ainan Town, barley rice was commonly eaten in the past, and satsuma is said to have been a way to make the dry, crumbly barley rice tasty. It used to be called 'hiyajiru' (cold soup).
History
Satsuma has been made throughout Nanyo, and in Uwajima City, where fresh fish is available, white fish such as sea bream has been used. In mountain areas where fish was hard to obtain, 'iriko satsuma,' made with iriko, was eaten, and some areas use river fish such as carp and crucian carp. The school lunch materials note that because it was quick to make and went well with rice, it was a welcome dish for the women who were responsible for cooking during the busy farming seasons.
Features
The flesh of grilled fish is flaked while still hot, combined with barley miso, and ground in a suribachi (mortar). This is toasted over charcoal or a gas flame until golden brown, and then dashi broth, made from the bones left after flaking the flesh and cooled, is added to give it a thick, smooth consistency. It is poured over warm barley rice and topped as desired with lightly seasoned konnyaku, green onion, finely chopped mandarin orange peel and so on. Cucumber is sometimes added as well.
Main Ingredients
How It Differs from Home Cooking
According to materials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, because satsuma takes time and effort to make, it is seldom made at home today and has become a dish served mainly at local cuisine restaurants. Products made to be easy to prepare, as well as sets combining the ingredients and dashi broth, are sold at souvenir shops and at shops in expressway service areas.
Famous Shops
郷土料理 大衆割烹 ほづみ亭
愛媛県宇和島市新町2-3-8
A local cuisine restaurant known for Uwajima Taimeshi that also serves 'satsuma,' in which grilled sea bream is combined with barley miso and dashi and poured over rice. According to customer reviews, it is offered as a 'satsuma-jiru' set meal. It is about a 5-minute walk from JR Uwajima Station.
かどや 本店
愛媛県宇和島市鶴島町1-23
Its 'satsuma set meal' is described as satsuma-jiru, made by grinding barley miso with grilled white fish and thinning it with dashi, served with barley rice and a clear soup. A travel guide listed it at 1,400 yen, but prices may change. It is about a 3-minute walk from JR Uwajima Station.
View details →富屋
愛媛県宇和島市和霊元町1-3-2
A restaurant known for its Uwajima Taimeshi set meal that also serves satsuma-jiru made with flaked grilled sea bream and barley miso. It is described as having a thick texture in the mouth, like grated yam (tororo). It is about a 3-minute walk from JR Uwajima Station.
旬膳・郷土膳 和日輔（わびすけ）
愛媛県宇和島市恵美須町1-2-6
A restaurant serving Uwajima local cuisine. Besides Uwajima Taimeshi made with 'Aitai,' a farmed red sea bream raised in the Uwa Sea, it is described as offering 'Iyo satsuma meshi' made with 100% sea bream. It also sells mail-order products for home use, such as 'tai satsuma-jiru.'
FAQ
Q. Why is it called 'satsuma'?
A. There are several theories about the origin of the name. One theory is that it was introduced from Satsuma Province (Kagoshima Prefecture), and another is that the appearance of rice cut in a cross shape so that the dashi soaks in resembles the family crest of the Shimazu clan of the Satsuma domain. There is also a theory that it comes from the characters 佐妻 (read 'satsuma'), meaning a dish made by a husband to help his wife, but which one is true is not clear.
Q. Is it the same dish as Kagoshima Prefecture's 'satsuma-jiru'?
A. Kagoshima Prefecture's satsuma-jiru is a hot miso soup simmered with chicken and vegetables, and it is a different dish from Ehime Prefecture's satsuma. Ehime's satsuma is a cold soup made with grilled fish and barley miso and eaten poured over barley rice.