is made from small fish caught nearby that are blended into a paste and then fried. It is a special product of Uwajima in southern Ehime Prefecture. Jakoten has a long history, having been eaten since the Edo period.

History

According to the ''Jakoten Book'', jakoten was invented in 1614. Originally Date Hidemune made his craftsman make steamed fish pastes in 1615.Yasuhiro Oka, ''Jakoten Book'' (Matsuyama: Ehime Shinbunsha, 2007) The craftsmen made steamed pastes of Uwajima fish. Hidemune was a '' daimyō'' of Uwajima. He loved steamed fish pastes when he was in

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, desig ...

so he wanted to eat them in Ehime.

Process

Hotarujako, which are small white fish, are good for making jakoten. Hotarujako is the Japanese name for ''

Acropoma japonicum ''Acropoma japonicum'', the glowbelly, is a fish species in the family Acropomatidae found in the Indo-West Pacific. It is a benthopelagic predatory fish with a bioluminescent organ on its ventral surface. The glowbelly is an important food fish ...

'', a member of the

bioluminescent Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some Fungus, fungi, microorganisms including ...

fish family Acropomatidae, called glowbelly or lanternbelly in English. Hotarujako is also called haranbo in Uwajima. First, the heads, viscera and scales of the fish are removed. Then, the remaining parts are minced including the bones. Seasoning is added and the minced fish is ground into a paste. Next, it is shaped into rectangular patties by using a wood frame. The patties are fried for several minutes until they become brownish. The pieces of jakoten are now ready.

Eating

When jakoten is eaten, it should be broiled using a frying pan or shichirin (portable clay stove). It should be eaten with

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

and grated daikon radish. Jakoten is used in nimono, udon, salad, etc., and goes well with alcoholic drinks.

References

{{seafood Japanese cuisine Food paste