is a Japanese dish of rice-filled squid. It is a regional dish from the
Oshima area of
Hokkaidō.
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 ...
. 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
Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of many bamboo species including ''Bambusa vulgaris'' and ''Phyllostachys edulis''. They are used as vegetables in numerous Asian dishes and br ...
,
carrots
The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', nati ...
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 statio ...
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 th ...
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
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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, and also a Persian pet name for Morteza. It is also the name of two clans in Japan, and one clan in India.
Italian surname
* Barbara Mori, Uruguayan-Mexican actress
* Camilo Mori, Chilean painter
* Ces ...
delicacy and a Hokkaidō 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 called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...
, it is sold at many stations where squid are caught nearby.
See also
* List of seafood dishes
This is a list of notable seafood dishes. Seafood dishes are food dishes which use seafood (fish, shellfish or seaweed) as primary ingredients, and are ready to be served or eaten with any needed preparation or cooking completed. Many fish o ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikameshi
Japanese cuisine
Japanese rice dishes
Squid dishes