Draft:Ami-meshi

Ami-meshi(あみめし) is a local dish from Ōita Prefecture in the Kyushu region of Japan, made using ami (krill).

Overview

Amimeshi is a traditional dish that has been eaten for generations in the northern coastal areas of Ōita Prefecture, particularly around Nakatsu, Usa, and Bungotakada.

It is a simple dish made by mixing sweet and savory simmered ami into freshly cooked rice. It is loved not only as a home-cooked meal but also as part of school lunches in the region. In recent years, it has become common to enhance its nutritional value by adding ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and deep-fried tofu (aburaage).

By using dried ami, which can be stored for long periods, amimeshi can be enjoyed year-round. Its simplicity and rustic flavor have made it one of the representative culinary traditions of northern Ōita. In addition, a method of dry-roasting dried ami and eating it as a type of furikake seasoning has spread, making it a familiar item on the everyday dining table.

The main ingredient, ami (a type of krill), is harvested abundantly during the autumn months (September to October) from the tidal flats of the Buzen Sea. In good years, the shoreline becomes tinted pink with the massive catches. Freshly caught ami are salted ("tsuke-ami") and used as seasoning or flavoring for pickles, while others are dried to be preserved as "hoshi-ami" (dried ami). Dried ami is widely used as a substitute for sakura shrimp, particularly in dishes such as rice cooked with various ingredients (takikomi-gohan) and tempura fritters (kakiage) from autumn to winter.

References

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Categories:

• Japanese seafood