Tai-meshi
What’s your favourite tai-meshi (a seasoned rice and snapper dish)?
Ehime boasts scenic islands in the Seto Inland Sea and an intricately indented coastline facing the Uwa Sea. The mineral-rich Kuroshio Current (a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean) flows into the Uwa Sea, making these waters particularly fertile feeding grounds for fish.
This makes Ehime an ideal location for farm-raised fish and in fact, is the number one producer of such fish in Japan. Ehime is responsible for more than 50 per cent of the total haul of snapper in Japan and many of our local dishes showcase the delicious and delicate flavours of this fish.
Today we’d like to tell you more about one such local delicacy, tai-meshi.
There are two types of tai-meshi in Ehime. The first one, Hojo tai-meshi, is a seasoned rice dish cooked with a whole snapper and the second one, Uwajima tai-meshi, is a dish where fresh strips of snapper sashimi marinated in a specially blended soy sauce and eggs are served on top of hot steaming rice.
Hojo tai-meshi
In the third century, fishermen would serve the Empress snapper with rice, and this is said to be how this dish originated. The whole snapper is cooked together with rice in clay pots and served in bowls. It is often eaten during celebrations and when welcoming guests. This simple dish is a great way to enjoy fresh snapper raised in Ehime.
Uwajima tai-meshi
It is said that this dish is a fisherman’s favourite from the 14th century onwards. Fresh slices of snapper sashimi are marinated in a special sauce mixed with eggs and then placed on top of a bowl of steaming rice. It’s so delicious you won’t be able to stop asking for more!
Ehime is also well known for being Japan’s number producer of citrus fruits. Besides that there’s lots to do like bathing in Dogo onsen, Japan’s oldest hot spring, and travelling along the 70-km-long Nishiseto Expressway with its nine bridges that allow cyclists to travel around the islands of the Seto Inland Sea (these bridges were the first to allow cyclists to cross straits in Japan.) We invite you to visit Ehime to enjoy cycling in our beautiful surrounds and to relax in our luxurious hot springs. Be sure to try both tai-meshi dishes and let us know which one is your favourite!
For more information check out our website: http://iyokannet.jp/english/index.htm
