Kujira no Tare is a preserved food handed down since the Edo period in Wada, Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture. Palm-sized, thinly sliced pieces of Baird's beaked whale meat are marinated in a special sauce made from soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings, then dried in the sun. Wada Port, home to the Wada-ura area, is known as the only coastal small-type whaling base in the Kanto region, and Baird's beaked whales are landed there every year during the fishing season from late June to late August. Drying concentrates the meat's umami, and when lightly grilled, the fragrant soy-based sauce and the whale meat's distinctive rich red-meat flavor come through. Enjoyed locally as a snack and an accompaniment to sake, it is also a dish that developed from local wisdom for using whale meat without waste. In recent years it has also become available by mail order from roadside stations and specialty shops, and it remains a beloved souvenir representing Wada-ura.
Origin
Kujira no Tare is a preserved food that has been eaten since the Edo period in Wada, Minamiboso City, home to Wada Port, the only coastal small-type whaling base in the Kanto region. The method of marinating the meat in sauce and drying it is said to have been devised to make full use of the Baird's beaked whale meat caught there, without any waste.
History
In Wada, Baird's beaked whale hunting takes place every year during the fishing season from late June to late August, and the landed whale meat has been processed into a variety of dishes, including sashimi, steaks, and Kujira no Tare. Even in the era before refrigeration technology, Kujira no Tare, preserved by drying, has been passed down as a staple that has supported the tables of local households and fishing communities.
Features
The dish is characterized by palm-sized, thinly sliced whale meat marinated in a soy sauce-based sauce and slowly dried in the sun. Drying concentrates the umami, and when lightly grilled, its fragrant aroma and the whale meat's distinctive rich red-meat flavor come through. It is also enjoyed as is, as an accompaniment to sake or as a side to rice.
Main Ingredients
Famous Shops
道の駅 和田浦WA・O！
千葉県南房総市和田町仁我浦243
Kujira no Tare is sold at the direct-sales shop, and the restaurant's 'whale school-lunch' plate (kujira kyushoku) starts at around 715 yen.
View details →| ハクダイ食品 くじらのたれ | A long-established local company handling whale meat and Kujira no Tare, producing and mail-ordering several products, including a soft type.Where to buy →PR |
|---|