The mysteries of Sado island captures the imagination of many and few. It is a place I’ve never been, a place I dreamed to go. Sado is a place where a Japanese biodiversity thrives and Sado’s foods are unique to Sado island.

Sado’s terrain of 1,000m mountains and 400m+ hilly areas with the plain in between, has a marine climate due to the location in the Sea of Japan. The characteristic of a warm temperate zone with a warm ocean current has generated the diversity of agriculture systems and food production.

One particular habit is eating igoneri, a food culture that has been rooted on Sado Island for centuries. This seaweed grows in rocky sea of Japan (Igoneri), and entangles the rocks. A wondrous raw material, a specialty of Sado Island, the soul food of Sado island.

Igoneri no Hayasukeya produces and sells two kinds of igoneri; “Maki-igoneri” is rolled igoneri which is habitually eaten on Sado Island. Maki-igoneri is characterized by its smooth feel and is made by boiling up igogusa seaweed, filtering it, placing and spreading it on a thin plate, and rolling it after it has become solid. After chopping it up thinly, you can add some chopped Japanese leek and ginger as condiments, and then you put some shoyu.

“Kaku-igoneri” is a square igoneri, which is more common in the mainland area of Niigata Prefecture and is made by boiling igogusa, filtering it, putting it in a vessel while it is hot and letting it solidify. Characterized by its doughy feel, you chop kaku-igoneri into about-5-milimeter-thick slices, and eat it after adding some vinegared miso.Sado people over the soy sauce, and served topped with shredded green onion and ginger grated spice.

source: internet

Igoneri: http://igoneri.com