Image: Wikimedia Commons
Hamayaki Saba is a specialty of the Wakasa region of Fukui Prefecture, made by skewering a whole mackerel and grilling it. Mackerel spoils easily, but grilling makes it keep longer, so it has long been enjoyed in Obama City, which faces Wakasa Bay, where mackerel was caught in abundance. In the past, to preserve freshness, mackerel is said to have been grilled on the beach right after being landed. The grilled mackerel is usually eaten with ginger soy sauce. Since ancient times, Wakasa was a Miketsukuni (a province that supplied food to the imperial court), delivering seafood to the capital, and Obama is known as the starting point of the Saba Kaido (Mackerel Road), along which mackerel was carried to Kyoto. In Obama City's shopping streets, there are long-established shops that display Hamayaki Saba grilled right at the storefront. Hamayaki Saba, which is delicious even when cold, also gave rise to the pressed sushi 'Yaki Saba Sushi,' which has become one of Fukui's representative souvenirs.
Origin
In Obama, mackerel has long been a staple ingredient as well as an important product. Because mackerel is 'ashi ga hayai', meaning that it spoils quickly, it required suitable methods of preparation. Hamayaki Saba is thus said to have begun with grilling mackerel on the beach right after it was landed to preserve its freshness. Grilling made it keep longer, and it also became a foodstuff carried from Wakasa to inland areas.
History
Since the Asuka and Nara periods, Wakasa has been known as a Miketsukuni that supplied salt and seafood to the capital. In the Edo period, mackerel became a major product, and the roads used to carry it to Kyoto came to be called the 'Saba Kaido.' The saying 'Kyo wa toote mo juhachi-ri' (Kyoto may be far, but it is only 18 ri away) has been handed down, and it is said that porters carried their loads over about 72 km of mountain roads in a single day. In 2015, 'Miketsukuni Wakasa and the Saba Kaido' was recognized as Japan Heritage. Grilled mackerel was also carried to the Kohoku area of Shiga Prefecture, giving rise to Saba-somen (grilled mackerel with somen noodles).
Features
Hamayaki Saba is made by skewering a whole mackerel and grilling it boldly. Grilling brings out the umami of the mackerel, and it is typically eaten with ginger soy sauce poured over it. Skewer-grilled mackerel is also a popular dish at Obama's Gion Festival. There is also a soup called 'namagusa-jiru,' made with stock taken from the bones and head of grilled mackerel. It contains flaked mackerel, tofu, and vegetables such as daikon, and has been eaten on special occasions and at funerals.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
While sea bream is commonly used for celebrations in Japan, in Obama mackerel is eaten even at festivals, the New Year, and other celebrations. The Izumi-cho Shopping Street in Obama City has a plate marking the starting point of the Saba Kaido, and there is also the Obama City Saba Kaido Museum, which introduces the history of the Saba Kaido.
Famous Shops
朽木屋
福井県小浜市小浜広峰39（いづみ町商店街）
A long-established shop said to have been dealing in mackerel for about 250 years since its founding. Its signature Hamayaki Saba is displayed freshly grilled at the storefront and can be purchased from about 1,404 yen. Some people reportedly enjoy it freshly grilled in a nearby park.
| Yaki Saba Sushi (Wakahiro) | A pressed sushi created in 2000 by Wakahiro, which is headquartered in Obama City. Grilled mackerel is combined with ginger and shiso leaves (oba) and hand-rolled together with vinegared rice made from Fukui-grown Koshihikari. It ranked first in sales for five consecutive years among the 'soraben' (airport bento) at Haneda Airport, and is from about 1,782 yen.Where to buy →PR |
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FAQ
Q. Is Yaki Saba Sushi a long-standing local dish?
A. Yaki Saba Sushi is a relatively new specialty created around 2000. Inspired by the local dish Hamayaki Saba, it turns grilled mackerel into a pressed sushi with vinegared rice. It has become popular as being easy to eat even for people who do not care for shime saba (vinegar-cured mackerel).
Q. Is Hamayaki Saba eaten outside the Wakasa region as well?
A. Around Ono City in the Reihoku area, there remains a custom of eating whole grilled mackerel on 'Hangesho,' around July 2, the 11th day counting from the summer solstice. It is said to have begun when the lord of the Ono Domain distributed whole grilled mackerel to farmers exhausted from rice planting, and it is called 'Hangesho Saba.'