When it comes to Sendai’s famous specialties, beef tongue is definitely at the top of the list! That’s why you’ll find many ekiben (station boxed lunches) for sale at Sendai Station. However, the “Harako Meshi” I’m introducing today is also a very well-known local dish from Miyagi Prefecture, and there are several ekiben featuring this dish available as well.
The ekiben we’re introducing this time also has a straightforward name: “Miyagi’s Local Dish: Harakomeshi.” Unlike the famous beef tongue dish, which originated after World War II, harakomeshi was reportedly already being eaten as a fisherman’s meal by fishermen who used dragnets at the mouth of the Abukuma River during the feudal era. Even today, there are rivers where salmon still swim upstream to spawn, and this historic dish is unique to Miyagi Prefecture, which boasts an overwhelming share of the nation’s silver salmon aquaculture market.
Salmon is a staple ingredient found in many ekiben, but most of them feature grilled salmon; dishes featuring simmered salmon, like harakomeshi, are relatively rare. When one thinks of regional cuisine, one tends to imagine a somewhat rustic flavor, but this simmered silver salmon from Miyagi Prefecture—lightly seasoned with soy sauce—has an elegant taste, complemented by its tender, moist texture. It goes without saying that it pairs perfectly with rice (Miyagi Prefecture’s Hitomebore variety) cooked in the same simmering liquid. Of course, even if you eat just the rice, you can still taste the salmon.
“Harako”—which also gives this dish its name—refers to trout roe, and this too is marinated in soy sauce. It comes in a generous portion on the side, so you can enjoy it in whatever balance you prefer with the simmered silver salmon and rice. Incidentally, the pickled daikon and cucumber are also seasoned with a light soy sauce flavor, making this an ekiben with a well-balanced overall taste.
Until now, I personally hadn’t associated Miyagi Prefecture with salmon, but discovering information about a region through ekiben, as I did this time, might be one of the joys of traveling.
© Source travel watch