[Aomori Prefecture] Enjoy “Mutsu Bay Scallops” with local cuisine!

The sweet taste of scallops is the best. Aomori Prefecture is the prefecture with the second largest catch of scallops after Hokkaido. In particular, a lot of scallop farming is carried out.

99% of Aomori Prefecture's scallops are farmed in Mutsu Bay. Aomori Prefecture has a traditional scallop dish called ``Kayaki Miso''

"Miso kaiyaki" from the Tsugaru and Shimokita regions of Aomori Prefecture is famous. When it comes to scallop dishes, we would like to introduce you to some of the delicious local dishes made in Aomori Prefecture, which has a large harvest of scallops.

What is “Mutsu Bay Scallop”?

Before that, I would like to introduce "Mutsu Bay Scallops" "Mutsu Bay Scallops" are farmed scallops, but they are farmed using naturally born young scallops. And their food is phytoplankton.

Mutsu Bay receives clean, nutritious water from the Hakkoda Mountains and the Shirakami Mountain Range, which is a World Heritage Site, and is also rich in phytoplankton. For this reason, ``Mutsu Bay Scallops'' are proud of their thick flesh and mellow sweetness.

In particular, Mutsu Bay scallops are in season from April to June, and are said to have a rich flavor.

What is ``Kaiyaki Miso'' that uses the shells of large scallops from Mutsu Bay as a pot?

The local dish ``Kaiyaki Miso'' is made with ``Mutsu Bay scallops'', and it is a local dish with a long history. It is said that it was first made and eaten by fishermen in Mutsu Bay during the Edo period.

Scallop shells are large, so the dish begins with using the shells as a pot, adding fish fillets, etc., and simmering them with dashi and miso. The fact that the seashells are used as a pot is typical of fishermen's food. I'm sure it will be delicious with the scallop soup stock mixed in instead of hot pot.

Various local dishes such as ``Tamagokaiyaki'' and ``Miso Kaiyaki'' are delicious when served with rice!

Other dishes that were made during the Edo period include ` ` Tamagokaiyaki,'' where poured with eggs, and ``Miso Kaiyaki,'' where shellfish

Nowadays, many dishes have been combined to incorporate miso into the soup stock, add ingredients such as scallops, and finish with egg. Enjoy the luxurious taste of scallops and eggs.

In addition, in the Shimokita region's local dish ``Miso Kaiyaki'', plenty of seaweed such as funori and nori, scallops, sea urchin, squid, etc. are simmered luxuriously and eaten with miso and eggs.

These scallop dishes are good as an accompaniment to alcohol, but they are also delicious when eaten over rice. All of these can be said to be local dishes where you can feel that the scallops, miso, and eggs go well together. Both scallops and eggs are respected as highly nutritious foods and are nutritionally valuable.

The crunchy texture of the scallops and the fluffy texture created by the egg are irresistible. In addition, the aroma of miso is fragrant, and the fact that the shellfish is used as a bowl and can be eaten as is makes it a delightful dish that will warm your body.

Big shells are needed for shellfish miso! There is also a custom of securing seashells at fishermen's homes.

Also, for ``Kaiyaki Miso'', you will need large shells, 15 to 20 cm in length. In order to secure large shells suitable for such "Kaiyaki Miso", there is a custom in fishermen's homes to keep large shells of natural scallops.

We definitely want to try this dish when we find a large scallop shell.

If you want to eat at a restaurant, try “Michinoku Ryori Nishimura”

And if you want to try this ``shellfish grilled miso'' at a restaurant in Aomori Prefecture, we recommend going to ``Michinoku Ryori Nishimura The store is located in Aomori Prefecture Tourist and Product Center ASPAM in Aomori City

You can enjoy various local dishes of Aomori Prefecture as part of Michinoku cuisine.

``Michinoku Ryori Nishimura'' has a dish called ``Scallop Grilled Miso,'' which features a large scallop shell about 20cm in diameter topped with luxuriously chopped scallops. Then, the soup is made with local miso and bonito from Aomori, boiled, and then seasoned with eggs. It's 20cm in diameter, so you can enjoy a lot of it, so why not give it a try?

Michinoku Cuisine Nishimura <Information>

• Name: Michinoku Ryori Nishimura Aspam branch
• Address: ASPAM 10F, 1-1-40 Yasukata, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture 030-0803
• Phone number: 017-734-5353
• Official URL: https://www.michinokunishimura.com/

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