Kaki – [Sushi/Foodlore]

Description

Kaki – 牡蠣, 生ガキ (Oysters) – [Sushi/Foodlore.]

• About: Oysters! A Creamy mollusc that Gourmands are crazy for world wide! – Japanese cuisine is of course no stranger and has a long history of oyster farming & meals, dating back to at least the 16th century! (We can date this back even further with archaeological evidence; Kaizuka (貝塚, shell mounds), which have been found, dating oyster consumption back to the prehistoric Jōmon period of 14,000-300 BCE!!) – Today; Hiroshima boasts the #1 oyster production region in Japan; accounting for 60-70% of all oyster production in the country. But! That said, Oyster farming is a massive industry and a huge varieties of Oysters are farmed almost everywhere cross-country; Perhaps a testimate to this is that “Akkeshi” (a town in eastern Hokkaido) gets its name from the Ainu word “Akkeshin” meaning “place with lots of oysters” which the town is famous for farming! Both The cold (& warm!) oceans which surround Japan allow for plankton & mineral rich waters which make it an ideal, fertile feeding ground for farming a large variety of clean oysters! The industry has very strict guidelines and as such, many can be eaten raw straight out of the shell! – Deliciously creamy, Raw, shucked oysters are generally known as “Namagaki” (なまがき) and are beloved for their savoury Umami taste. … Despite this; Kaki Nigiri served in sushi restaurants is something of a rarity; they dont make for an ideal topping, as raw oysters are so soft and juicy that the moisture they release can disrupt the balance of a Nigiri Rices texture and flavour! (it makes the rice so wet that the whole piece falls apart!) As such, when you do see Oysters on the Sushi menu, The Kaki that is served as pieces of Nigiri Sushi is more often soaked in sake and lightly poached to remove the excess moisture and bring out the umami! More often than not they’re commonly served the classic way (as they are in North America) Served raw on the half-shell with a squirt of Lemon as an appetizer, or otherwise deep fried!  – Yum!

For a folk Legend regarding Pearls, see also: “A story of the Oki Islands” (1918)

An Edo period print showing many people hard at work “Oyster Farming in Hiroshima” (by Tokube Ando, aka Hiroshige III 1877) – [image source.] – This print Shows the old “Hibitate method” of farming oysters; before oyster-farming-boats became common place, Oysters where Cultivated by attaching them to bamboo or tree branches and placing them in coastal mudflats! the tides did the rest, when the batch was ready; farmers would come out on dingys and collect them at low tide. (as pictured)

[Art sticker and bite sized biography by samkalensky (yo thats me!) part of my foodlore/sushi collections!! – check my ‘kai section‘ for more Shellfish & Mollusc’s in folklore!]