Nagoya has such a unique and diverse food culture that it is called “Nagoya-meshi” (Nagoya food), and there are many bentos with a rich local flavor available at stations. The “Hitsumabushi Roll” introduced here is one such ekiben, with the words “from Owari-Nagoya” written on the package. Incidentally, “Nagoya-meshi” is not specifically defined as originating in Nagoya City, but rather refers to the food culture of a wide area, including surrounding areas, and has come to be widely used since the beginning of the 21st century.
Now for the main dish, “Hitsumabushi-maki,” which consists of rice seasoned with eel sauce and chopped eel wrapped in grilled nori seaweed. The rice, made of Uruchi rice and glutinous rice, is quite chewy and is cut into six equal pieces for easy eating. However, even though it is cut into pieces, they are still attached to each other, making it a little difficult to separate them.
The sauce is rich, but never too thick, and has an elegant taste. I personally wish they would add a little more wasabi to the sauce, as I prefer to eat it with the attached wasabi.
Speaking of hitsu-mabushi, one of its main features is that it can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, such as eaten as is, topped with condiments, or eaten smooth with dashi (Japanese soup stock) or tea. Upon further investigation, it seems that powdered tea used to be attached to this bento as well, but not anymore. Therefore, it is a little regrettable that we can only enjoy the variation with or without Wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Still, we highly recommend the “Hitsumabushi-maki” bento, which allows you to enjoy the savory taste of eel at a small table in the train.
Incidentally, the stick-shaped package, which also contains hand towels, chopsticks, toothpicks, and wasabi, is very compact and can be turned upside down. Even in situations where you have a lot of luggage and both hands are occupied, you can easily toss it into your bag without worrying too much about the top and bottom of the package.
© Source travel watch