Marine Products, List of Shops for Direct Sales of Processed Marine Products / A Variety of Herring Kirikomi(7‐33)

8 seafood processing companies in Nishi-Ezo make 9 kinds of herring kirikomi. They also make 3 kinds of kirikomi from other types of fish. Take a journey to Nishi-Ezo to discover your favorite by comparing the flavors of 12 varieties of kirikomi.

What is Kirikomi?

Kirikomi is one of the traditional cuisines in Tohoku and Hokkaido. Oil and blood is completely removed from thinly sliced raw fish, which is then preserved in salt and malted rice. Most kirikomi you find in Nishi-Ezo is made from herring, but kirikomi made from other fish, such as flounder and Japanese sandfish, is also common in other areas. Before the days of home refrigeration a lot of salt was added to kirikomi to protect against decay. Nowadays more kinds of kirikomi are made with less salt for health reasons. Many kirikomi products are sealed in plastic containers and frozen for sale. Kirikomi products spoil easily so they should be eaten within a week after they are thawed.

Kirikomi goes well with rice. It is also often served with alcoholic beverages. Local people often eat it with daikon-oroshi, or grated daikon radish, to modify the salty flavor. Local people commonly make easily prepared “Sanpei-jiru” soup or “Ochazuke” from kirikomi and boiled water. Kirikomi is also used as a substitute for anchovies in pasta or pizza.