Japan Food Heritage
Buri Shabu
the way winter yellowtail was meant to be eaten
There is a reason that people flock to northern Kyoto on the Tango Peninsula in winter: it’s for yellowtail shabu-shabu
The historic town of Ine with its 230 boat houses lining the bay is not only recognized as one of “Japan’s Most Beautiful Villages,” but it is also famous for being one of the three best areas in Japan to eat yellowtail (alonhg withHimi City in Toyama Prefecture and the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture). From late autumn to winter, when the water temperature drops sharply, the deliciousness of the yellowtail spikes due to the increase in good-quality fat. There are quite a few restaurants that sell yellowtail, and cooking style of "buri shabu" is especially popular. In late autumn, many gourmet lovers from all over the country come for a chance to have Ine yellowtail served shabu-shabu. It’s not as fresh anywhere else, and this area’s chefs specialize in preparing shabu-style yellowtail.
The season is limited, so come between the beginning of November and end of March
Yellowtail is a fish that grows up to 80 cm or more (10 kg or more), and in the Tango region(Tango Peninsula and surrounding area in Northern Kyoto), it is customary for this fish to be served for celebrations such as New Year's and birthdays as it also serves as sort of a lucky charm with the implications of “getting ahead” or “growing up”. Also, during family gatherings (especially as people living in the cities don’t have the chance to return to their family homes on the seaside often) yellowtail served shabu-shabu style is quite popular as everyone can gather around the cooking area. And since these yellowtail are most delicious during the winter months, and since the winter months are cold and the darkness long, it could be that the custom of sitting around a warm hot pot lit by a fire could have something to do with the origins of “buri shabu” and why it is so popular in the Tango region .
Ine: the living history of an active fishing village
Most of the yellowtail fish in Japan migrate. Those that spent the summer in Hokkaido begin to move south along the Sea of Japan in late autumn when the water temperature drops, and by the time they reach the Tango region, they have matured into Japan’s highest quality yellowtail (the other two locations making up the top three yellowtail are all on the Sea of Japan as well). Yellowtail is also a fish whose name changes in Japanese as it grows. Those who eat sushi might be familiar with one of it’s iterations, hamachi. In order of size from smallest to largest, these are a few of the names yellowtail is known by: mojako, wakana, tsubasu, hamachi, marugo, and finally buri (the largest). In recent years, aquaculture technology has advanced quite a bit and as a result brand-name yellowtail (like Ine’s) is traded at high prices.
Tango is the "birthplace" of yellowtail shabu-shabu
As one of Japan’s three best spots for yellowtail, you can bet that special cuisine has developed in order to maximize the deep flavors of this winter delicacy. The flavor was so prized that it was called the best in Japan in the "Honchoshokan," an age defining collection of Japan food written during the Edo period by the doctor "Hitsudai Hitomi." There are various theories all over Japan, but it is said that the origins of “buri shabu” can be traced back to two locations, the longstanding restaurants Aburaya in Ine, and Toriki in the nearby Miyazu.
Yellowtail is a truly versatile fish that can be prepared a variety of ways other than yellowtail shabu. Yellowtail and daikon is a dish where the flavors exuded from yellowtail meat is absorbed by the radish. Yellowtail sashimi is typically thickly cut so you can savor the full flavor of the raw yellowtail. There are also dishes such as yellowtail seafood rice bowl, yellowtail grilled with salt, yellowtail teriyaki, grilled yellowtail kama, and so more.
Natural Hot Springs, a way to slowly warm yourself, shabu shabu-style!
The Kyoto by the Sea area is a historically volcanic region and has a variety of high quality hot springs, many of which are located right on the Sea of Japan. Some of the more popular locations are in Amanohashidate and Kyotango City, which have some of Japan’s most interesting and unique geological features. Take advantage of the winter and pair your yellowtail shabu experience with hot springs as the snow disappears into the curling waves.