In Owase City, Mie Prefecture, "Aburi", a preserved food made with seasonal small mackerel, is actively made.
"Aburi" is a preserved food made by smoking small fish, and is a special product that has been made in Kajika-cho, Owase City for over 100 years.
At the processing plant of Mr. Tomoyo Hamanaka, women in the neighborhood gather to make mackerel using small mackerel that has just been landed in the morning.
First, remove the head and internal organs from the small mackerel by hand, wash it with water, sprinkle it with coarse salt, and let it sit for a while.
Then, stab about 20 bamboo skewers about 30 cm in length, line them up on a net, and sprinkle them with the smoke from burning cherry trees for about 2 hours to make a savory boil.
According to Mr. Hamanaka, orders decreased significantly last year due to the effects of the new coronavirus, but this means that orders are on par with the average year.
Mr. Hamanaka said, "Please enjoy this because it has a nice scent and taste."
Mackerel-based aburi is made until mid-July.