Tai - Ehime Seafood
Imagine steaming, hot rice, cooked in a large pot, topped with a large, whole sea bream (tai), cooked to perfection.
Tai is a fish that has symbolic importance in Japan.
This cooking method with an earthen pot is good for a group, which might be too much for a group of less than six people, so please try with a lot of friends. Eating “medetai” tai would make your trip more enjoyable.
Imagine steaming rice in a large pot, topped with a large whole sea bream (tai), cooked to perfection. The succulent fish is boned and cut into small pieces. Then, it is simmered in the broth of the fish, scallions are mixed into the rice, and you eat it. Delicious! This is tai-meshi, the king of seafood delicacies in Ehime Prefecture.
Tai is a fish with symbolic importance in Japan for the reason the word “tai” is the same sound as in the word meaning celebratory. When something great happens to someone, the phrase “medetoai” is commonly heard; the meaning being a formal sort of “congratulations”. Thus, in Japan, tai has become a symbol of all things congratulatory such as getting married or graduating school. When revealing a whole tai, the dish is much more than good food – it celebrates the occasion, bringing joy and fortune to all present.
This cooking method with an earthen pot is good for a group, which might be too much for a group of less than six people, so please try with a lot of friends. Eating “medetai” tai would make your trip more enjoyable.
Imagine steaming rice in a large pot, topped with a large whole sea bream (tai), cooked to perfection. The succulent fish is boned and cut into small pieces. Then, it is simmered in the broth of the fish, scallions are mixed into the rice, and you eat it. Delicious! This is tai-meshi, the king of seafood delicacies in Ehime Prefecture.
Tai is a fish with symbolic importance in Japan for the reason the word “tai” is the same sound as in the word meaning celebratory. When something great happens to someone, the phrase “medetoai” is commonly heard; the meaning being a formal sort of “congratulations”. Thus, in Japan, tai has become a symbol of all things congratulatory such as getting married or graduating school. When revealing a whole tai, the dish is much more than good food – it celebrates the occasion, bringing joy and fortune to all present.
This cooking method with an earthen pot is good for a group, which might be too much for a group of less than six people, so please try with a lot of friends. Eating “medetai” tai would make your trip more enjoyable.
Uwajima tai meshi
In Ehime, there is an alternative way that people prepare “tai-meshi”. Raw slices of tai are placed on steaming hot rice. Then, a soy sauce based soup is poured over the rice. This is also often called “Uwajima tai-meshi” which may fit to individual travelers. You can't go wrong with either way of eating tai-meshi; they're both delicious!
