Konowata
File:このわた - flickr 5893169002 9f78eb0550 o.jpg
Konowata is a kind of shiokara (fermented salted seafood), made from sea cucumber intestines. It is one of Japan's Chinmi (rare taste).
The Noto Peninsula, Ise Bay, and Mikawa Bay have long been known as production centers, but today it is manufactured in various regions, including the Seto Inland Sea.
Ko is Japanese for sea cucumber,{{Cite web|url=https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%B5%B7%E9%BC%A0|title=海鼠の意味・解説|author=デジタル大辞泉|date=|publisher=小学館|access-date=2023-12-10}} no indicates the genitive case, and wata means internal organs.{{Cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%82%8F%E3%81%9F-774263|title=栄養・生化学辞典 「わた」の解説|author=コトバンク|date=|publisher=DIGITALIO|access-date=2023-12-10}}
Method of manufacture
Sea cucumbers are used as the source of konowata; Apostichopus japonicus is considered delicious.崔相、大島泰雄、[https://doi.org/10.2331/suisan.27.97 ナマコにみられる「アオ」と「アカ」の形態および生態的差異について] 日本水産学会誌 1961年 27巻 2号 p.97-106, {{Doi|10.2331/suisan.27.97}}
First, the sea cucumbers are left in a fish tank set up in the sea near the work site for about two days until some of the food residue and feces inside their intestinal tracts are excreted. Rip the ventral side near the mouth with a small knife about 5–6 cm in length, turn it upside down, and pull out the internal organs by inserting fingers through the cut while draining the internal body fluid.
The intestines are squeezed out with fingertips to squeeze out the remaining sand inside, and then separated into three parts: the intestinal tract, respiratory tree (called "the second part of the sea squirt intestine"), and gonads, as well as sandy mud. Gonads and the sea cucumber itself are used as separate ingredients.
Rinse the intestines well in seawater, drain in a colander, and put into a container and mix with salt. Use a little more than 10% salt by weight to the intestines. It will be ready for eating in two to three days.
Eating and Nutritional Value
{{Infobox nutritional value | name=Konowata文部科学省、2015．日本食品標準成分表2015年版（七訂）. 589 pp．全国官報販売協同組合．ISBN 978-4864581189| water =80.2 g| kJ =268| protein =11.4 g| fat =1.8 g| carbs =0 g| fiber =0 g| sugars =0 g| calcium_mg =41| iron_mg =4.0| magnesium_mg =95| phosphorus_mg =170| potassium_mg =330| sodium_mg =1800| satfat =100 mg| monofat =190 mg| polyfat =350 mg| opt2n = Cholesterol| opt2v = 1.0 mg}}
Konowata is often eaten as a knob of liquor. It is often served on top of freshly cooked hot rice. At restaurants and inns, a small amount is placed in a small bowl and sometimes with a Japanese quail's egg. It is sometimes made into konowata-zake, which is hot sake with a small amount of konowata added.{{Cite web|url=https://nrifs.fra.affrc.go.jp/kakou/souran/konowata/index.html|title=水産加工品のいろいろ「このわた」|author=水産研究・教育機構|date=|publisher=National Research Institute of Fisheries Science|access-date=2023-12-10}}
The konowata-jiru, or "konowata soup", in which konowata is cut into small pieces with a knife and added to thin soup stock or miso soup, is also often eaten.{{Cite web|url=https://japan-word.com/konwatajiru|title=このわた汁|author=日本の食べ物用語辞典|date=|publisher=|access-date=2023-12-10}}
History
File:Japan sea animal, Apostichopus japonicus.jpg
In the Engishiki, which was established in 927, "One koku of sea squirt intestine" is listed among the tribute imposed by the central government on Noto Province.
The 15th-century Ninagawa Chikamoto Diary also mentions that Hatakeyama Yoshimune presented Ashikaga Yoshimasa with "one hundred tubs of sea gut" as a gift, as well as "one hundred tubs of konohata" for Hino Tomiko and "fifty tubs of konohata" for Yoshimoto's parents. Some believe that this "tub" is a small container with a diameter of about 6 cm.垣内光次郎・木越祐馨、1998． ナマコ（海鼠）の食用文化史の研究．食文化助成研究の報告8． 財団法人味の素食の文化センター、東京．盛本昌広、1997．日本中世の贈与と負担．校倉書房．380 pp. ISBN 978-4751727508.
The recipe for making konowata is described as a secret recipe in the cookbook Shijoryu-Houchou-sho (四条流庖丁書) from around 1489.
There is also a description of konowata in the Hoko Kakugo No Koto (Preparedness for Service), thought to have been written in the late 15th century, which states that "konowata is eaten with chopsticks with a tub."続群書類従完成会（塙保己一：編）、1959．羣書類従第二十二輯．続群書類従完成会、東京．三浦純夫、2010．能登守護畠山氏の贈与品と考古資料．松藤和人（編）、考古学は何を語れるか（同志社大学考古学シリーズX）．Pp. 451-460. 同志社大学考古学シリーズ刊行会、京都．
In 1522, Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the twelfth shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate,
ate konowata when he went to the Gion Festival.{{Cite book|url=https://www.digital.archives.go.jp/DAS/meta/listPhoto?LANG=default&BID=F1000000000000037301&ID=M1000000000000060713&TYPE=|title=祇園会御見物御成記|author=|date=|year=1522|publisher=|pages=|isbn=|access-date=2023-12-13}}
The Diary of Odachi Joko (大舘常興日記) states that in 1539, warlord Hatakeyama Yoshifusa of Noto Province gave konowata as a gift for the New Year.
In 1583, konowata is provided in the Kaiseki issued by Sen no Rikyū to Araki Murashige.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kinseibungei/100/0/100_45/_article/-char/ja/|title=『万の文反古』巻一の四「来る十九日の栄耀献立」再考|author=石塚 修|publisher=|journal=近世文藝|volume=100|issue=|pages=45–58|doi=10.20815/kinseibungei.100.0_45|access-date=2023-12-14}}
The Muromachi-dono Diary (室町殿日記,) completed around the beginning of the 17th century, contains the following regarding Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ruled Japan at the end of the 15th century.
: When Toyotomi Hideyoshi invited his friends over for a chat, one of the lords presented him with three items: oysters, moon shell, and konowata. Hideyoshi ordered Hosokawa Yusai, who was there, to compose a waka poem reading this gift. Hideyoshi praised the poem and everyone enjoyed eating the gift.
In 1603, at the beginning of the modern period, it was recorded in Nippo Jisho (Japanese-Portuguese dictionary) as cono vata.
In the Oyudono-no-ue-no-Nikki (御湯殿上日記) of 1603, there is an account of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had just become a Shogun, presenting a konowata to the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
In 1635, konowata was served for breakfast when Date Masamune entertained Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu at the Ninomaru of Edo Castle.:wikisource:ja:命期集
There is also a description of konowata in Shokumotsu-honzo (食物本草) published in 1671, which explains the medicinal and toxic properties of food.{{Cite book|url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/2557431/1/31|title=食物本草 下巻|author=名古屋玄医|date=|year=1671|publisher=村上勘兵衛|pages=|isbn=|access-date=2023-12-10}}
There is also a description of konowata in Suisho zakki (遂生雑記,) a manual of food ingredients published in 1682.{{Cite book|url=https://rmda.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/item/rb00003636#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=134&r=0&xywh=-2412%2C1777%2C7407%2C1805|title=遂生雑記 3巻|author= 中山三柳|date=|year=1682|publisher=|pages=|isbn=|access-date=2023-12-10}}
The 'Honcho-Shokkan (本朝食鑑) established in 1697 also includes a commentary on konowata. According to it,
: The process involves washing the intestines of fresh sea cucumbers in seawater until there is no more sand or dirty juice. After that, it can be done by mixing it with salt and preserving it. If done well, it will be yellow, similar to amber. The inferior ones have black or white foreign matter mixed in there. It is also tasty when mixed with egg yolks. In the old days, the country of Noto was considered the place of origin, and it is listed in the Engishiki. Currently, Owari and Mikawa products are the best, followed by those from Musashi Province. Many regions take sea cucumbers, but do not produce konowata. This is because few people prefer konowata. In the past, there was a monk in Mikawa who was very good at making konowata, which is why Mikawa became famous for konowata. Later, this monk moved to Owari, which also became famous for konowata.
In the Edo period, the lord of the Maeda clan, which ruled the Kaga Domain, declared processed sea cucumbers a government monopoly and prohibited their production outside of the places designated by the lord. In a 1757 instruction on thrift by Maeda Shigemichi, the 9th daimyō of Kaga Domain, it is written that sea cucumbers and konowata may be served as a New Year's dish to entertain guests.{{Cite book|url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1118521/1/20|title=稿本金沢市史 風俗編 第2|author=金沢市|date=|year=1927|publisher=石川県金沢市|pages=63–82|isbn=|access-date=2023-12-10}}
The "Wakan sansai tukai" also includes a section on "sea squirts" in Millennium No. 51 (Fish), and also mentions this fish guts
In the Wakan Sansai Zue, konowata is described as follows,
:konowata is made by fermenting the three intestines of sea cucumbers in salt. It is fragrant and a perfect snack for winter and spring. After New Year's, it becomes too salty to eat.寺島良安・島田勇雄・竹島淳夫・樋口元巳（訳注）、1987．東洋文庫 471 和漢三才図会 7．458 pp. 平凡社、東京．{{ISBN|978-4582804713}}
File:Owari meisho zue - konowata.png]]
The Owari meisho zue, published in the 19th century, contains illustrations of the monks featured in the aforementioned Honcho-Shokkan.
In 1811, Kurimoto Masayoshi wrote the following in his Senchufu (千蟲譜):
: Although we call it namako today, it was called ko once upon a time, and this is why the snack that goes well with sake, made from the intestines of namako (sea cucumber), is called konowata.{{Cite book|url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1287375/1/22|title=栗氏千虫譜 第8冊|author=栗本瑞見|date=|year=|publisher=|pages=|isbn=|access-date=2023-12-14}}
The 19th century Japanese poet Rai San'yō wrote that he composed a poem in gratitude for the gift of konowata.{{Cite journal|url=https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1050282677472935168|title=村瀬太乙『山陽遺稿』講義録|author=小財陽平|date=2016-03-15|publisher=|journal=国文学研究|volume=178|issue=|pages=36–49|doi=|access-date=2023-12-11}}