is a Japanese dish of rice-filled squid. It is a regional dish from the Oshima area of

Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...

Preparation

Ikameshi is prepared by removing tentacles from and gutting the squid, which is then stuffed with washed rice and cooked in

dashi is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. ''Dashi'' forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. ''Dashi'' is also mixed into the flour b ...

. Toothpicks and other such items may be used to keep the rice in place. The rice itself is usually a blend of both glutinous and non-glutinous rice. Other ingredients sometimes used as stuffing include minced squid tentacles, bamboo shoots,

carrots The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the Daucus ...

and aburaage.

History

In 1941 during World War II when food rations had a shortage of rice, Mori Station

ekiben are a specific type of ''bento'' boxed meals, sold on trains and at train stations in Japan. They come with disposable chopsticks (when necessary) or spoons. ''Ekiben'' containers can be made from plastic, wood, or ceramic. Many train stations ...

vendor Abeshoten (now Ikameshi Abeshoten) decided to use the plentiful

Japanese flying squid The Japanese flying squid, Japanese common squid or Pacific flying squid, scientific name ''Todarodes pacificus'', is a squid of the family Ommastrephidae. This animal lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, in the area surrounding Japan, along the e ...

that were being caught at the time as a way to ration the supply of rice.北海道雑学百科ぷっちがいど
/ref> After the war, in 1966, Keio Department Store held their first annual , for which Abeshoten entered their ikameshi dish. By the second competition, sales of ikameshi reached the number one ranking and became a regular entry in subsequent years. This gradually made it known nationally as a

Mori Mori is a Japanese and Italian surname. It is also the name of two clans in Japan, and one clan in India. Italian surname * Camilo Mori, Chilean painter * Cesare Mori, Italian "Iron Prefect" * Claudia Mori, Italian actress, singer, televisio ...

delicacy and a

delicacy in general. In recent years, other manufacturers of ikameshi other than Abeshoten have cropped up, and it is now possible to easily obtain it packaged and preserved by such means as special events and mail-order. Even in

Honshū , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...

, it is sold at many stations where squid are caught nearby.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikameshi Japanese rice dishes Squid dishes

Preparation

History

See also

References