To decorate the spring tables of Shonai, it is with sansai after all, wild edible plants. There are Gassan bamboo shoots, Koshiabura, Fatsia sprouts, Ostrich ferns, and bracken. It is often thought that most wild plants require a lot preparation to reduce some of the bitterness. They are picked in the mountains, so a certain amount of time is involved in their transportation. Freshly harvested ones mostly need no sort of preparation. There are many ways to serve them. They can be deep fried, steamed, or boiled. They are refreshing and sweet… indeed delicious.
Also, there is another symbol of the season, Salmoniformes, Salmonidae, Oncorhynchus masou, known as a marine product of Yamagata Prefecture. The common name of this trout is Sakura masu (Cherry salmon), popular for mountain stream fishing. They wander downstream, and after migrating to the Sea of Japan or Sea of Okhotsk, they come back again to the Mogami River and Akagawa River in spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom. In Sakata, the upstream Sakura masu are specifically called “River trout”. Strangely, it is said that the trout that live in freshwater have spots on their body, but the spots disappear in Sakura masu, which migrate to the sea. Their whole bodies become silver.
As the return rate back to their spawning grounds has always been extremely low, the catch isn’t high. Because the Sakura masu numbers have decreased in number even more in recent years, they have become a very rare and highly valued fish. According to the owner of Shibaraku, a sushi restaurant, which serves Sakura masu and is located in the City of Tsuruoka, “Because of its rarity, only five sushi restaurants in this area serve Sakura masu.” He goes on to say, “Moreover, we are in a situation that each of us must stagger our schedules in order to share this limited local resource.”
At Shibaraku, they serve a grilled fillet of Sakura masu. Visually, the color is salmon pink, the same as salmon, but the taste is completely different. First of all, even though it is quite fatty, it still tastes light and refreshing. To compare it with salmon, which is soft and loosens in the mouth, Sakura masu is uncharacteristically firm. The more I chew, the more I taste its characteristics, and the light and refreshing fat remains until the moment of swallowing. It is a unique seasonal taste of a limited time and region, which can be enjoyed only from April to May. Sakura masu are an indispensable feast during spring festivals in Shonai from long ago, as it is the symbol to ushering in a new season.
