Winter Hokkaido Rice Ball Hunting Trip Part 3: Discovery! The Ultimate Parent-Child Rice Ball
[1252nd Rice Ball] Namara Onigiri (Salmon Park Chitose) Salmon and Sujiko (Salmon Roe)
<<1699th consecutive day!>>
What, after all, is the best filling for a rice ball?
Regarding rice balls, I have eaten over 2,000 types and written over 1,200 reports so far, but...
This question of the "best filling" is something that always follows me.
Some people might say "plum is best," "tuna mayo is best," or "plain salt rice ball is best," and the answers vary greatly. People have strong attachments to them as well.
In my case...
I have narrowed it down to a certain extent as the strongest fillings.
They are these two.
1. Sujiko (Salmon Roe in the sac)
On its own, sujiko is quite salty and sticky.
But when it pairs with a rice ball...
It brings out the deliciousness of the rice, and that strong saltiness itself becomes just right.
The sujiko hidden inside the rice ball is also great.
It is warmed just right by the heat of the rice, and I feel like it clings perfectly to the grains, amplifying the deliciousness.
This sense of unity with the rice ball might not be achievable with individual salmon roe (ikura).
Of course, you wouldn't get this feeling eating it as sushi either.
There are many delicious rice ball fillings in the world. However, most of them are delicious on their own, or sometimes even better when eaten in other ways.
In that respect, sujiko is best enjoyed as a rice ball, which brings out its qualities and deliciousness the most.
2. Salmon
Salmon rice balls are an ingredient that tends to vary significantly from shop to shop.
The more effort put into them, the more delicious the rice ball becomes.
In other words, a shop that makes delicious salmon rice balls can generally be said to be a shop where all their other rice balls are delicious as well.
As I continued this challenge, I realized that there are classic ingredients that clearly tend to show differences in taste between shops.
To put it bluntly,
that ingredient is "salmon."
Some might wonder, "Are other ingredients not good enough?"
Ingredients like pickled plum, spicy cod roe, and kelp are rarely processed by the rice ball shops themselves, and since many are uniform in taste, it can be difficult to see the difference in skill.
In that respect, salmon varies widely.
Sometimes they use grilled salmon as is, sometimes they go to the trouble of flaking it, and sometimes they use flakes. There are even cases where it is smoked salmon or mixed with mayonnaise. Shops that put in the effort and are particular about their salmon are often particular about their rice balls as well.
In other words, it can be said that a shop with delicious rice balls has delicious salmon rice balls.
So, salmon and salmon roe.
When you think about it, salmon roe is the egg of the salmon.
In other words, they have a parent-child relationship.
I have discovered a "dream rice ball" that uses this ultimate parent-child duo as a double filling, and I want to tell you all about it right away.
👉 Let's go eat the ultimate parent-child rice ball!
Salmon Park Chitose, a roadside station in Chitose City, Hokkaido.
It is a brand-new roadside station that fully reopened last summer.
The centerpiece of this renovated roadside station is the kiln-cooked rice ball shop, "Namara Onigiri."
It wasn't that a separate store was set up outside the building, but rather a specialty rice ball shop was built right in the center of the building.
I discovered a rice ball made only of sea urchin, called a 'Unigiri'! What a luxurious name.
The rice balls here have such a huge variety.
And they are all freshly made.
That must be because it's a roadside station with so many customers.
Furthermore, if a rice ball isn't on the shelf, they will make it for you on the spot if you order it.
This made-to-order service is really delightful.
Egg yolk and minced meat!
A rice ball that makes my mouth water just hearing the name.
And it even has Chitose Wagyu beef mince!
I want to try this one and that one.
Oh man.
I want to eat them all.
What should I do? What should I do?
I'm so distracted by all the choices that I can't decide on just one.
I suddenly look up.
There, a large rice paddle is displayed, with the names of the ingredients written on it.
'Salmon', 'Salmon roe'
Oh, oh, oh.
Those two ultimate ingredients are listed right next to each other.
When I ask the staff, they tell me that a 'Salmon and Salmon Roe' rice ball is on the menu!
That's it!
One 'Salmon and Salmon Roe' rice ball, please!!!
After waiting about 5 minutes, the rice ball was ready.
Wow.
Look at this. This beautiful shine.
The ultimate combination of salmon and salmon roe. It's like a crown studded with rubies and garnets.
Right away, let's dig in.
Chomp.
Wow. The filling is overflowing from inside.
First, the sujiko (salmon roe).
The rich, salty flavor of this high-quality sujiko is irresistible.
The firm texture of these grains is exactly what you'd expect from Hokkaido.
And then, the lightly salted salmon.
It's grilled in the shop and carefully flaked.
Come to think of it, the name of this roadside station is 'Salmon Park'.
Of course the salmon is delicious!
These two ultimate ingredients.
Since they are parent and child, there's no way they wouldn't go well together!
The saltiness layers upon saltiness, and it even transfers to the surrounding rice, which is just unbearable!
Yep, this is officially the ultimate parent-child rice ball!
An exquisite rice ball of 'salmon and sujiko' from the northern land.
Thank you for the meal!
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