Abstract
Over the past few centuries, three types of fish, slender shad (Ilisha elongata), Japanese shad (Sardinella zunasi), and dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus) have been mainly eaten in the southern region of the Okayama prefecture of Japan. The objective of this study is to highlight dietary customs in Okayama surrounding the consumption of these fish.
All three types of fish have often been eaten pickled, as sushi, or baked, and slender shad has been simmered and eaten in modern times. All of these methods were inherited from the Edo period. These fish were seen as special products in the Okayama clan and have been used to show hospitality on special occasions. However, they have not been used when serving guests of high position. Through the handing down of recipes, other eating habits from the Edo period were also inherited by the southern region of the Okayama prefecture.
