[3-Minute Essay] Do you know what "Heshiko" is? | The taste of Kyoto that shocked me when I first ate it 🐟

Maruyoka-san is hosting a project called
"The food that shocked me when I first ate it"
.

Actually, I am also a member of
Tarao Girls, where Maruyoka-san is the president.

▼ Click here for the project

After reading this article, I thought about it for a while.
I wondered, what is the "food that shocked me"?

That's when
Heshiko came to mind.

Everyone,
do you know what Heshiko is?

Heshiko is a
preserved food made by pickling mackerel in rice bran, eaten in places like Maizuru in the northern part of Kyoto.

In the past, there was a road in Kyoto called the
Mackerel Road.

It was a road for transporting mackerel caught in the Sea of Japan to Kyoto.

Since blue-backed fish spoil easily, people started
pickling them in salt and rice bran to make them last longer.

That is
Heshiko.

Locally, it is commonly sold in supermarkets.

The first time I ate it was
when I was young.

My impression at that time was...

To be honest,

Huh?
What is this?

That was it.

Anyway,
it's salty.

The scent of the rice bran was also strong, and

Whoa,
is it this salty and
does it taste like rice bran?

I remember being quite shocked by it.

But strangely enough,
as I grew older,
I gradually started to like it.

The flavor of the rice bran and
that unique umami.

This is
an indescribably delicious taste.

It's excellent in ochazuke,
and it's also perfect as a snack with drinks.

By the way, when grilling Heshiko,
I think it's better not to remove the rice branfor a better taste.

If you grill it with the rice bran left on,
it finishes with a plump texture.

And what's interesting about Heshiko is that
it's not necessarily the case that
the more expensive it is, the better it tastes.

What I like is
a moderately priced Heshiko.

Even with high-end ones,
sometimes I think,
"Huh?"

That's why lately,
I don't buy it at souvenir shops,
but rather at local supermarkets.

When people think of Kyoto,
there are many places visited by people from all over the world,
such as Nineizaka and Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

I also really love the atmosphere of Nineizaka.

But there are also many wonderful places
in the northern part of Kyoto.

The boat houses of Ine Town,
and
Amanohashidate.

I also really love the time spent
savoring local food
along with the ocean scenery.

A taste that was a shock when I was young.

But now,
I suddenly find myself wanting to eat it.

Perhaps the attachment to things that are
matured over timelike Heshiko,
is somewhat similar to human taste and life itself.

Recommended reading

While writing this piece, I remembered an article I wrote thinking about my past self.
If you'd like, please take a look at this one too.

To my self 10 years ago. --That atmosphere was my own heart.
-If you could give advice to your self from 10 years ago, what would you say? | Happy Writing Marathon #41

🕊️Self-introduction: Clinical Psychologist x Certified Public Psychologist | Toward self-understanding, not self-blame
A place where you can get closer to being your own counselor🪽

A psychologist's "ruler" and my meddlesome self—things I want to let go of just a little right now—
| Happy Writing Marathon #40

Lastly🫶

Matters of the heart
cannot be sorted out all at once, can they?

As a place to gradually organize yourself,
I also share words through my membership.

About the membership

For those who want to look a little deeper
at the fluctuations of their heart and their habits of thought.

In the membership,
I quietly put my perspective as a psychologist
into words that can be used in daily life.

For those who want to take time to organize themselves
at a comfortable pace, click here🌿

▶ Click here for membership

LINE Notifications

Things I can't write in articles or on social media,
and things I felt at the time, I share slowly via LINE.

I keep it as a place where
the necessary words reach you at the necessary time.

▶ Click here for the official LINE

#FirstTimeEating
#Maruyoka
#TaraoGirls
#Kyoto
#Heshiko
#IneTown
#Amanohashidate