本業は札幌中央市場の海産物仲買である会社が直営で食品スーパーをやっていまして、こちらの店ではスーパーらしからぬ「鮮魚」そのまま販売コーナーがあります。ふつうのスーパーではだいたい「捌いたあとの切り身」状の魚が「生魚」販売されるのが普通なのに、ここではゴロッと生身の魚体が置かれている。
　「お客さんの方で捌いてくださいね」という無言のアナウンス。
　先日の「鯛」みたいなモノで、わたしはYoutube見よう見まねで魚を捌く一種の趣味生活中なので、こういう「逆配慮」はまことに楽しい（笑）。包丁数寄を刺激されて仕方がない。
　ということで、昨日も大量の「キンピラゴボウ」造りの材料としてゴボウを買いたかったので向かっていたのですが、鮮魚コーナーにはことしも豊漁と言われている「ニシン」がゴロッ。どうも北海道の沿岸部にはことしも昨年に引き続きニシンが押し寄せてきてくれているようです。
　この店では最近はニシン・３尾で299円〜399円程度が定番価格だったのですが、きのうさすがに驚かされたのが「４尾で99円！」価格。オイオイであります。やや小ぶりとはいえ、ちょっと常識を破壊した価格。わが家の食べられる量は、いつもは夫婦２人＋アルファなのですが、最近は孫育てにたいへんな子ども世帯に、おかず各種を製造・届けしている。捌いた半尾であれば１食の焼き魚の分量に最適。写真の切り身１片をご覧ください。これが16切れ採取された次第。
　で、小ぶりとはいえ、アラも出る。頭部分はさすがに面倒すぎるので生ゴミにしましたが、ニシンが嫌われる骨の多さに対応して背骨部分は手で取り除く。その部分を手で探りながら取り出すとき、どうしても肉身が付着したままになるので、それはアラ汁にしています。
　先日の巨大鯛では大鍋満々でしたが、今回はほんの少々。だけれど旨味はそれなりに楽しめます。こういう旨味が食生活の健康増進にはたいへん役立つのではないかなぁ。と、勝手に思い込み。
　しかし昔、北海道の味覚の代表選手だったニシン。このように豊漁が続いてくると、郷土料理の主役として再度登場してくるのではないでしょうか？　大いに期待！

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English version⬇

[Only 25 yen per fish!! “Bargain-priced herring from a bumper catch”—8 fish for a total of just 200 yen!]
When I asked the shop, they said, “We’ve got a massive stock. We just need to get rid of some.” It’s great news for the average person, but you’re on your own when it comes to filleting the fish…

　A company whose main business is seafood brokerage at Sapporo Central Market operates this supermarket directly, and the store features a “fresh fish” section that’s quite unlike what you’d expect in a typical supermarket. While most supermarkets usually sell “raw fish” in the form of pre-cut fillets, here you’ll find whole, unprocessed fish displayed just as they are.
It’s a silent message saying, “Please fillet the fish yourself.”
　Like with the “sea bream” the other day, I’ve taken up a sort of hobby of filleting fish by watching YouTube tutorials, so this kind of “reverse consideration” is truly fun (lol). It really gets my culinary curiosity going.
So, yesterday I headed there because I wanted to buy burdock root to make a big batch of “kinpira gobo,” but in the fresh fish section, there were whole herring—which are said to be in abundance again this year—just sitting there. It seems that, just like last year, herring are swarming the coast of Hokkaido again this year.
At this store, the standard price for three herring has recently been around 299 to 399 yen, but yesterday I was truly shocked by the price: “Four for 99 yen!” Come on now. Even though they’re a bit on the small side, that price defies all common sense. Usually, the amount we eat at home is for just the two of us plus a little extra, but lately, I’ve been preparing and delivering various side dishes to my children’s household, who are busy raising their grandchildren. A half-fish, once filleted, is the perfect portion for a single serving of grilled fish. Take a look at the fillet in the photo. This is what I was able to cut into 16 pieces.
　So, even though they’re small, there are still scraps. The heads were just too much of a hassle, so I tossed them in the food waste, but to deal with the many bones that make herring unpopular, I remove the backbone by hand. When I feel around and pull it out by hand, some meat inevitably sticks to it, so I use that for a scrap broth.
The other day, with that giant sea bream, I had a huge pot full, but this time it’s just a little bit. Still, you can enjoy the umami flavor just fine. I like to think that this kind of umami is incredibly beneficial for a healthy diet.
However, herring used to be a staple of Hokkaido’s cuisine. With bountiful catches continuing like this, might it make a comeback as the star of regional cuisine? I’m really looking forward to it!

● Announcement
My book, “Writers and Living Spaces,” has been published as an e-book by Gentosha.
Available on Amazon.
　
　

Posted on 4月 8th, 2026 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類