{"id":4717,"date":"2026-09-01T00:31:41","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T15:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/?p=4717"},"modified":"2026-09-01T00:33:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T15:33:19","slug":"kyoto-sushi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/kyoto-sushi\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyoto Sushi: Gyozushi (Sabazushi, Hakozushi, Mushizushi)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most of what we call sushi is nigiri sushi, Edomae perfected in Tokyo.Before \u6c5f\u6238\u524d<\/span> It is a type of dish. Hold it in your hand, place raw fish on top, and eat it on the spot as soon as it is finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in Kyoto, there is a type of sushi that is fundamentally different from that. Kyoto University<\/span>, in other words Kyozushi<\/span>all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"count(title)%,\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\r\n

Approximately 100g of Saba Sushi 193 kcal<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Carbohydrate approx. 25.8g \u00b7 Protein approx. 7.0g \u00b7 Fat approx. 7.8g<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Although it appears to have a low fat content for a dish topped with fish, that is because more than half of the weight is rice. Since it is common for a single serving to exceed 500g, the actual calorie count for one meal is quite substantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

index<\/p>\n <\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sushi in Kyoto, an inland city far from the sea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"count(title)%,\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kyoto is an inland basin. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the nearest sea, Wakasa Bay, is more than 70 km away.
In the days before refrigerators, as you can easily imagine, handling and preserving fish in an inland basin was no ordinary task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story that started with crucian carp sushi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The ancestor of sushi is Narezushi<\/span>(mature<\/span>It is known as ). It was a preserved food made by burying fish in rice and fermenting it for several months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most famous is crucian carp sushi, or narezushi, from Lake Biwa in northern Kyoto.\u9b92\u9b93<\/span>c. Lactic acid bacteria that consumed the sugar in the rice produced acid, preventing spoilage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is said that during this process, even the fish's skull and backbone soften, creating a unique aroma that is sour and resembles a mixture of butter and cheese. There is also a view that the reason modern sushi adds vinegar to the rice is precisely to substitute for this sour taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process of quickly bringing out the sourness and umami that used to require waiting months to develop is also the history of sushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kansai, there was a form pressed into a wooden frame since the Heian period, and as this was commercialized during the Edo period, it split into Hakozushi and Bouzushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyoto sushi doesn't contain raw fish?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Raw fish is not included in the ingredients of Gyozushi. The tradition is to serve it in a state where the flavor is already perfected by salting, curing in vinegar, grilling, or braising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the ingredients are seasoned, the rice is also seasoned with a distinct sweetness to match. Therefore, soy sauce is not needed when eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigiri sushi became common in Kyoto after the war; prior to that, most sushi restaurants in Kyoto sold pressed sushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when summarizing Kyozushi, often Mackerel, box, roll<\/span>I hold up the three characters. They are Sabazushi, Hakozushi, and Makizushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
division<\/th>Hakozushi<\/th>Sabazushi<\/th>Mushizushi<\/th><\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
Key Actions<\/td>\r\nPress<\/td>\r\npickle<\/td>\r\nI'm getting fat<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Main ingredients<\/td>\r\nSea bream, shrimp, conger eel, rolled omelet<\/td>\r\nMackerel, kelp<\/td>\r\nConger eel, shiitake mushrooms, egg garnish<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Eating temperature<\/td>\r\nroom temperature<\/td>\r\nroom temperature<\/td>\r\nhot<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
form<\/td>\r\nSquare cut pieces<\/td>\r\nSlicing the sticks<\/td>\r\nServed in the bowl<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
seasonal<\/td>\r\nYear-round, conger eel in summer<\/td>\r\nOil rises year-round, in autumn and winter<\/td>\r\nGenerally from mid-October to mid-March<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

Hakozushi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hakozushi\u7bb1\u5bff\u53f8<\/span>As the name suggests, it is made by putting it in a box. Rice and ingredients are layered in a wooden mold consisting of a bottom plate, side frames, and a pressing lid, and then pressed down from above to harden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The solidified mass is removed from the mold and cut with a knife. Unlike nigiri, which is made by shaping each piece individually, this method involves finishing the whole piece and then slicing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hakozushi in Osaka<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The prevailing view is that the elaborate, layered Hakozushi we envision today originated in Osaka. According to regional cuisine data from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, common people originally pressed common fish such as mackerel or horse mackerel into a paste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, during the Meiji era, a sushi restaurant in Semba, Osaka devised a form topped with high-end ingredients such as sea bream, shrimp, and conger eel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It even earned the nickname "Kaiseki in a small box" because of the colorful arrangement of bite-sized pieces inside the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyoto adopted this form but modified the materials in its own way. A representative example is Conger eel<\/span>It is Hamo Hakozushi with the topping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conger eel was one of the few fish with exceptionally strong vitality that could survive all the way to Kyoto, far from the sea. This is why Kyoto in the summer is famous for this ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\r\n

The flavor of Hakozushi stabilizes two or three hours after it is made rather than immediately. However, since the rice becomes hard if left in the refrigerator for too long, it is best to keep it at cool room temperature and eat it on the same day.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sabazushi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Saba-zushi is a representative dish of Kyoto sushi. Half a whole mackerel (saba) is placed on top of rice, wrapped in kelp, and shaped into a stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyoto is at least eighteen miles away.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The old road connecting Obama in Fukui Prefecture to Kyoto Sabakaido<\/span>, It is called Mackerel Road. It is a little over 70 km long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an old saying attached to this road. It is the phrase \u201cKyoto is eighteen ri away,\u201d which was used to encourage peddlers who crossed the mountains all night carrying heavy loads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mackerel is a fish that spoils easily. So, as soon as it was caught at dawn, we sprinkled it with salt and set off immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time they arrived in Kyoto after walking all night, the salt had permeated evenly to the core. Furthermore, natural maturation occurred during this process, converting proteins into amino acids and enhancing the umami flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chefs in Kyoto bought this "Wakasa salted mackerel," removed the salt, and then seasoned it again with vinegar and kelp to make sushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salt one day, vinegar one day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The shime-saba process, which involves curing mackerel with vinegar, involves first marinating it in salt for one day and then soaking it in vinegar for another day. The sequence is that the salt draws out moisture and tightens the flesh, followed by the addition of vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acid performs two functions. One is to solidify the protein, making the flesh opaque and firm. It creates a state similar to cooked meat without applying heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another factor is more important. The components responsible for the distinctive fishy smell of blue-backed fish are trapped in an acidic environment, preventing them from evaporating into the air. Therefore, fish marinated in vinegar actually emits a fresh aroma, as if it were just caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelp adds another layer to this. It enhances the umami flavor while retaining surface moisture to prevent the flesh from becoming mushy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first place to commercialize Sabazushi as a specialty shop was Izuu, which opened in Gion in 1781.\u3044\u3065\u3046<\/span>It is known as such. It is said that until then, it was a food that every household made and ate during the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\r\n

Saba sushi is not meant to be eaten cold. If refrigerated, take it out about 30 minutes before eating and let it sit at room temperature so the rice softens and the mackerel fat brings out its true flavor.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Bouzushi, and Battera<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"count(title)%,\"
Saba Bouzushi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Within the broad category of pressed sushi, there are two forms: the box type, which is pressed and cut using a square mold, and the stick type, which is shaped into a long, thin strip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latter is Bouzushi. In Korea, it is commonly known as Bongchobap. Japanese dictionaries define it as pressed sushi made by filling a long, slender wooden frame with ingredients, but they also include sushi rolled with a dishcloth or bamboo mat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabazushi in Kyoto generally falls into the latter category. Because it is rolled and shaped using a bamboo mat and a dishcloth, the cross-section comes out round rather than angular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here in Osaka Battera<\/span>Wow, it's different. It's the same mackerel sushi, but the character is quite different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Batera is made by pressing into a wooden frame, so it has a square cross-section. Thinly sliced mackerel is used, and a thin sheet of kelp is placed on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is said to have been devised in a sushi restaurant in Osaka in 1891, and initially, gizzard shad was used, but it was changed to cheaper mackerel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The origin of the name is also interesting. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, it comes from a Portuguese word meaning "small boat." This is because the shape of sushi resembles a boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To summarize, Kyoto rolls it thick, while Osaka presses it thin and straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"count(title)%,\"
Battera Batera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bozushi in Kyoto is not limited to just mackerel. Seasonal varieties featuring conger eel, as well as Spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, and small sea bream, are available in the summer. There are also shops that offer limited-edition bozushi to coincide with the Daimonji festival around the summer Obon period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushizushi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Mushizushi, a compound word of "mushi" (meaning steamed) and "sushi," is sushi that is steamed, just as its name suggests. It is a representative seasonal dish that returns every winter in Kyoto, Osaka, and other regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mushizushi\u84b8\u3057\u5bff\u53f8<\/span>, It is also known as Nukuzushi. The name comes from "nukui," which means warm in the Kansai language. Various ingredients, such as sushi rice mixed with grilled conger eel, sweet braised shiitake mushrooms, and dried gourd strips, are placed in a bowl, covered with an egg omelet, and then placed whole in a steamer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you open the lid, steam rises first, and underneath, a layer of yellow egg garnish is spread out. Mushizushi could be considered one of the winter scenes that come to mind when thinking of Kyoto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sharp sourness of the vinegar dissipates with the heat, making the flavor noticeably rounder. Instead, the aromas of shiitake mushrooms and conger eel rise through the steam. While cold sushi clearly reveals the outlines of the ingredients, this one presents all the ingredients bound together in a single mass of warmth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The birthplace of Mushizushi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is no established consensus regarding its place of origin. While it is commonly explained that it originated in Kyoto, many sources also classify it as a branch of Osaka sushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Nagasaki, there is a separate city called Nukuzushi.\u6e29\u305a\u3057<\/span>There is a local dish called [name], and similar dishes are served in Shimane and Kochi as well. It is quite well-known west of Kansai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is certain is that this is a winter-only menu, and the number of stores offering it has decreased noticeably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The period varies from store to store, but generally, they are sold mostly between mid-October and mid-March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chirashi-zushi and Mushi-zushi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Strictly speaking, Mushizushi is not a completely separate dish. Most sources explain it as Chirashizushi steamed in a bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, to understand the difference, you must first know that Chirashi Sushi is divided into two types. The Kanto style places raw fish on top of sushi rice. It is the form of the seafood rice bowl we commonly know. The freshness of each individual ingredient is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kansai style is different. Cooked or grilled ingredients are finely chopped and mixed into the rice, then topped with something like an egg omelet. This way Barazushi<\/span>It is called [this].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latter is the original form of Mushizushi. Since it does not contain raw fish in the first place, it can be heated whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanto-style chirashi cannot be steamed due to its structure. If raw fish is steamed, it is already a different dish. Ultimately, the differences can be summarized into three points: temperature, whether the ingredients are cooked, and the serving dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chirashi sushi is spread out in a wide bowl and is eaten with the eyes first. Mushi sushi is placed in a small bowl with a lid and placed whole in a steamer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also unique that the inside is not visible until the moment the lid is opened and the egg garnish is flipped over. Steam rises first, followed by the yellow egg garnish being revealed. The difference from Chirashi Sushi is that various ingredients are placed inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of what we call sushi is nigiri sushi, which belongs to the Edomae style perfected in Tokyo\u2026.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"0","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4717"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4726,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4717\/revisions\/4726"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drunkencapybara.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}