Shijumanya Honpo Yayoi Main Store retains the appearance of a traditional Kanazawa townhouse.
We have been producing and delivering fermented foods rooted in local culture, including soy sauce and miso, as well as miso pickles, kabura-zushi (turnip sushi), and daikon-zushi (radish sushi).
The main store, built in the early Meiji period, faces the old highway leading from Kanazawa to Tsurugi, and is a building that uses thick red pine beams, with a trunk circumference of more than one's arm, which were brought from Sado Island.
*The area where the main store is located is designated as an Important Traditional Building Preservation District.
Kabura-zushi is a traditional Ishikawa Prefecture fermented food made by sandwiching salted yellowtail between salted turnips and fermenting them with rice koji.
Although it has the name ""sushi,"" it is not the typical ""sushi"" made with vinegared rice, but a type of narezushi (fish fermented with salt and rice).
Because it uses rice koji, it is characterized by its gentle, rich flavor and aroma, making it easy to eat.
Originally, it was a special treat made in each household for celebratory occasions. While yellowtail (buri) is the basic fish used, mackerel is sometimes used depending on the region.
In the Kaga Domain, there are historical documents indicating that the domain's founder, Maeda Toshiie (1539-1599), procured salted yellowtail from Himi (Toyama Prefecture). Furthermore, during the Edo period, yellowtail was presented to the Tokugawa shogunate, demonstrating a deep connection with the fish.
Eventually, the Kaga Domain established a system called ""Goyo-buri"" (official yellowtail), where yellowtail for tribute were secured before being sold to the general public.
This Goyo-buri measured 54 cm from the eye to the dorsal fin, was salted, and transported wrapped in multiple layers.
The recipients of the offerings included not only the lord of the Kaga domain and the Tokugawa shogunate, but also the family of the lord's wife.
The recipe collection ""Bouchu Chojin Kiku"" left behind by Kaga domain chef Funaki Dennai contains a description of ""salted yellowtail sushi,"" which is thought to be the origin of kabura sushi, suggesting that it may have been made using this specially prepared yellowtail.
