Local recommendation for Toyama's famous "trout sushi" restaurant vol.1【Trout Sushi Matsugawa

  • Toyama
  • Souvenirs
When one thinks of local delicacies in Toyama Prefecture, "trout sushi" is the first thing that comes to mind. Many of you may have had trout sushi as a souvenir or at an ekiben (boxed meal sold at train stations).

What is Toyama's specialty "trout sushi"?

Masu-sushi is a type of pressed sushi made with salted and seasoned trout. The trout is placed in the bottom of a wooden "wappa" (bent bamboo mat), lined with bamboo grass and seasoned with salt, and filled with vinegared rice, then folded and wrapped in bamboo grass. The single piece wrapped in bamboo leaves is called "ippan" and the two pieces wrapped in bamboo leaves is called "nidan" (two layers).
（The history of ayu-zushi dates back to the Edo period when a man named Shinpachi Yoshimura, a warrior and cook in the Toyama domain, presented "ayu-zushi" to Lord Toshioki Maeda, the feudal lord of the domain. The feudal lord was so pleased with the taste that he presented it to the Shogun as a Toyama specialty, which won the admiration of the Shogun Yoshimune, who later began making "trout sushi" using cherry salmon caught in the Jinzu River.

Today, more than a dozen restaurants in Toyama City alone continue to carry on the traditional taste of trout sushi. The seasoning, the thickness and arrangement of the trout, and the way the rice is cooked all vary from store to store, and no two are alike. Toyama residents have their own favorite trout sushi restaurants, depending on their preferences for thickness, sourness, and softness of the sushi rice.
This time, we would like to introduce one of them, "Trout Sushi Matsugawa," located in the center of Toyama City!
The trout sushi at "Matsukawa" is fatty, raw, moist, and rare. It has a soft sour taste and is characterized by the umami of trout and the sweetness of Toyama rice, which matures to a mildly delicious taste. Recommended for those who do not like vinegar. To fully appreciate the ingredients, we recommend eating it as it is without any dipping sauce at first.
The trout is thick and quite meaty! It is juicy and satisfying.
The restaurant is very popular, so if you come late in the day, it may be sold out. If you stop by before taking the bullet train home, it would be safer to make a reservation in advance.

When you visit Toyama Prefecture, be sure to compare the trout sushi from various restaurants to find the one you like best! If you want to visit restaurants a little far from Toyama Station, we recommend you to take the tram running in the city.
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