Nishin no Sansho-zuke (Herring Pickled with Sansho Leaves)
Nishin no Sansho-zuke (Herring pickled with sansho leaves)
Nishin no Sansho-zuke is a preserved food handed down in the Aizu region, made by pickling dried, filleted herring (mikaki-nishin) together with sansho leaves in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, and sake. In landlocked Aizu, where fresh fish was hard to come by, dried mikaki-nishin brought from Hokkaido by ships such as the kitamae-bune became a valued source of protein. The dish reflects the wisdom of using the fragrance of sansho to soften herring's distinctive odor, and it is also a seasonal fixture of Aizu, made in households when the young sansho leaves bud from spring into early summer. The custom of pickling it in a dedicated 'nishin-bachi' bowl made of Aizu-Hongo ware also survives today, carrying on a local food culture in which the vessel and the dish are inseparable. Herring pickled for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks is eaten on its own as an accompaniment to sake, or served over hot soba noodles — a taste passed down across generations in Aizu households and traditional restaurants alike.
Origin
The Aizu region is surrounded by mountains, and in the Edo period there was almost no distribution of fresh fish there. As a result, dried, filleted herring caught in Hokkaido — mikaki-nishin — began to be carried inland by ships such as the kitamae-bune, and was valued as an ingredient that kept well and also served as a source of protein. The dish is said to have begun when this was combined with young sansho leaves gathered locally.
History
Dried, filleted herring has been prepared in various ways — rehydrated and simmered, or grilled — but pickling it sandwiched between sansho leaves became established as an ancestral wisdom for removing the odor peculiar to dried food and enriching its flavor. Prepared when sansho buds in spring and eaten from early summer into summer, it took root as a seasonal home dish in Aizu, and it continues to be made today by specialty shops and pickle makers.
Features
The basic method is to sandwich dried, filleted herring between sansho leaves and pickle it in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, and sake. The refreshing fragrance of sansho tempers herring's oiliness and odor while still letting them come through, making it a favored accompaniment to sake. Many households pickle it in a 'nishin-bachi' bowl of Aizu-Hongo ware, and the vessel itself has become almost a cultural artifact tied to daily life in Aizu.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In a way of life in Aizu where seafood was hard to come by, it developed as a piece of wisdom for making the most of dried food and eating it deliciously. It carries something of a seasonal ritual, prepared when sansho buds in early summer, and it still appears today at home tables and traditional restaurants as a local accompaniment to sake.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
At home, people often use store-bought dried, filleted herring and pickle it fairly simply, whereas specialty shops put great care into preparing the ingredients and pickle them slowly in a secret marinade blend. Another difference is that the traditional method of preparing it in an Aizu-Hongo ware 'nishin-bachi' bowl is still passed down today.
Famous Shops
会津 二丸屋武蔵亭
福島県会津若松市材木町2-8-18
A restaurant specializing in Aizu local cuisine. Nishin no Sansho-zuke can be ordered as a single dish for around 440 yen.
View details →会津高砂屋（高砂屋商店）
福島県河沼郡会津坂下町
Its Sansho-zuke, made with soy sauce and vinegar from its own brewery, is popular, priced from around 1,188 yen. It is also a standard dish at local traditional restaurants.
FAQ
Q. Why is dried, filleted herring used instead of fresh herring?
A. Because Aizu is inland and it was difficult to distribute fresh fish, the long-keeping dried, filleted herring has been used since long ago. Using sansho's fragrance to temper the odor peculiar to dried food became an established technique.