Saba no oshizushi / pressed sushi with grilled mackerel

A specialty sushi from the eastern part of Toyama Prefecture. This sushi appeared at gatherings of relatives at the house of my grandmother on my mother's side in Urayama (Unazuki). We would all get together for mid-summer obon to welcome ancestors as well as to attend spring and fall ennichi festivals at the local shrine. In my mind's eye, I can see my grandmother and aunties working in the large, earthen floor kitchen, chattering away and laughing against the sounds of running water, chopping vegetables and steaming pots, with indulgent smells filling the air. There, they used several huge wooden molds to make hundreds of sushi to feed dozens of people during their stay at the house and to take home. My mom, the youngest of her siblings, claims that gently breaking up grilled mackerel was her role in the sushi making, but she is not in my picture ...

I have a clear visual recollection of me holding a piece of sushi with vivid green sansho leaves. After my grandmother's health deteriorated and we began buying this type of sushi from shops, sansho was always missing, and needless to say there were differences in taste and texture. It was still home style, but certainly not what my family was familiar with.

Because of the big operation I used to see at grandmother's kitchen, I had long thought making this sushi would be too much work. But when I finally made a satisfactory one, it was surprisingly easy -- why couldn't I make this before?

As with masuzushi pressed salmon sushi, making this -- especially mackerel prep and pressing after assembly -- takes a bit of time. It tastes better the next day, too, so plan ahead.


Whole recipe: 1,212 calories; 32.9 g protein; 28.9 g fat; 187.9 g carbohydrate; 185.4 g net carbs; 443 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt for sushi rice); 69 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber

1/9 cut: 135 calories; 3.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 20.9 g carbohydrate; 20.6 g net carbs; 49 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt for sushi rice); 69 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber

Fuki to ebi no ohitashi / Japanese butterbur and shrimp marinated in light broth

Colorful coon shrimp (small spot shrimp), a local specialty, paired with fuki Japanese butterbur from our garden. Cooked coon shrimp we bought the other day happened to be inexcusably salty. After wondering if we should just throw them away, I decided to do an experiment, marinating them in lightly seasoned dashi to get rid of excess sodium while flavoring at the same time, a technique that works like magic with smoked salmon. And yes, the rescue effort was a delicious success.

32 calories (1/2 of recipe); 4.8 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 2.0 g carbohydrate; 1.5 g net carbs; 145 mg sodium; 38 mg cholesterol; 0.5 g fiber

Petoraaru karei no kinome-miso-yaki / grilled petrale sole with kinome sansho miso

Sweet and salty miso paste with pungent kinome sansho leaves is one of the seasonal choices for topping grilled dishes in early summer. Below, it is paired with petrale sole, a local fish with a delicate texture and mellow taste that goes really well with the spicy citrus tang of sansho.

1/2 of recipe:
109 calories; 19.4 g protein; 2.0 g fat; 1.8 g carbohydrate; 1.4 g net carbs; 197 mg sodium; 47 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber 

Petoraaru karei no shioyaki, kinomezu-gake / grilled petrale sole with young sansho leaf dressing

The fresh citrus note of young sansho leaves brings out the sweet taste of petrale sole in season. A very pleasant, light dish.

1/2 of recipe:
116 calories; tomatoes in photo excluded); 22.3 g protein; 1.4 g fat; 1.5 g carbohydrate; 1.5 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium; 57 mg cholesterol; 0 g fiber

Takenoko no kinomeae / bamboo shoot in sansho leaf miso dressing

The taste of late spring. This somewhat sweet green dressing is mellow and aromatic.