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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Nara
Kakinoha-zushi
Small pressed sushis of salted mackerel on seasoned rice, each wrapped in a persimmon leaf. A dish from Nara, served at the summer festivals of Gojō and Yoshino.
Traditional dish from Nara
Also known as: Kakinoha sushi, Kaki-no-ha-zushi, 柿の葉寿司
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Kakinoha-zushi — Nara, Japan
Kakinoha-zushi is a pressed sushi served in small portions. A thin slice of salted mackerel is placed on a block of rice seasoned with vinegar, and each piece is wrapped in a persimmon leaf. The pieces are arranged in a box, weighted, and left overnight: the leaf’s aroma and the mackerel’s flavor transfer to the rice. The leaf is not eaten.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, there are several explanations for its origin. One says that in the mid-Edo period, fishermen from Kishu (present-day Wakayama), pressed by taxes, salted the summer mackerel from the Kumano Sea and carried it through the mountains to sell in the villages along the Yoshino River. It was festival season, and the mackerel became a celebratory food. Another explanation links the dish to travel and military provisions.
Astringent-variety persimmon leaves, bright green in color, are used. The rice vinegar and the leaf help preserve the sushi. There is a version made with magnolia (hoba) leaf, prepared between early May and July.
In the Gojō and Yoshino regions, kakinoha-zushi is prepared for the summer festivals after rice planting, and children help make it. It is also one of Nara’s best-known souvenirs, sold in shops and at train stations.
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Where it comes from
Nara
Festival sushi of Nara, Gojō and Yoshino.
Ingredients
Salted mackerel sliced thin, rice seasoned with vinegar, persimmon leaves. In some versions, salmon or other fish are used.
How it is eaten
Remove the leaf and eat the piece with your hands at room temperature. In winter, some people warm the pieces while still wrapped in the leaf.
When it is eaten
Gojō and Yoshino summer festivals; available year-round as a Nara souvenir.
Your questions
Questions about Kakinoha-zushi
Is the persimmon leaf of kakinoha-zushi edible?
No. The leaf wraps the sushi and imparts its aroma to the rice; it is removed before eating.
Why is a sea fish sushi typical of landlocked Nara?
It is said that salted mackerel reached the villages along the Yoshino River from the Wakayama coast, carried over the mountains during the summer festival season. Salt, vinegar and the persimmon leaf preserved the fish.
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Beyond the guide
