From the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | |
| Mackerel | 20 kg |
| Mix A: rice bran | 3 kg |
| Mix A: fresh sansho berries | 200 g |
| Seasonings and liquids | |
| Salt | 3 kg |
| Mix A: ground chili pepper | 100 g |
| Mix A: sake | 1.8 L |
| Mix A: white liquor | 200 cc |
Many people think Kyoto has no seafood, but the Tango area faces the Sea of Japan, and the Tsushima warm current and the rivers from the Tango Peninsula and the Tamba Mountains give it good fishing grounds.
Kyoto’s fishing includes fixed nets, offshore trawling, small trawling, shellfish farming and long-line fishing. Snow crab, bird clams and yellowtail are landed.
Fishermen have a custom of drying seasonal fish for their own use, and it continues today. Dried fish, dried small sardines (niboshi) and dried seaweed are famous specialties of Tango.
Heshiko is made by pickling fish such as mackerel and sardines for a long time in rice bran and salt. Among fishermen, putting fish in a barrel is called “heshikomu” (to press in), and this is said to be where the name comes from.
It is pickled in rice bran from autumn to winter, and after half a year to a year it is ready to eat. In the past, every home made it, but now most of it is made by fishing cooperatives and seafood companies.
The bran is lightly wiped off and the fish is cut to size and lightly grilled. If the bran bothers you, wash it off with water before grilling. Grilled heshiko is usually eaten with tea poured over rice or put on rice. If grilled too much, the flesh gets hard.
Heshiko keeps for a long time. Leftover grilled fish can be flaked and stored to use in many dishes.
Fewer families make it at home, but local fishing cooperatives sell their own heshiko in supermarkets and farm stands. The federation of fishing cooperatives of Kyoto Prefecture has created recipes such as heshiko toast, heshiko salad and heshiko fried rice to spread knowledge of the food.
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.