Delicacy Day (Chinmi no Hi)

What Is Delicacy Day?

November 23rd is "Delicacy Day," established by the National Federation of Delicacy Industry Cooperative Associations. The date comes from the Niiname-sai harvest ritual held on this day at the Imperial Palace and elsewhere, at which delicacies from the mountains and the sea are offered, and from the wordplay "i (1) i (1) tsu (2) mami (3)" — "ii tsumami" (good snacks to go with drinks).

Japan's Three Great Delicacies

"Japan's Three Great Delicacies" (Nihon Sandai Chinmi) refers to three ingredients that have long been prized as luxury foods:

• Konowata: Salted sea cucumber intestines. Historically associated with Noto (Ishikawa) and Mikawa (Aichi), with a distinctive briny flavor and rich umami
• Uni (sea urchin): Here this means salted sea urchin (shio-uni), not fresh uni. In the Edo period, the salted uni of Echizen (Fukui) was the most famous
• Karasumi: Salted and dried mullet roe. A well-known specialty of Nagasaki

Comparison With the World's Three Great Delicacies

• Foie gras: Fattened liver of duck or goose, from France
• Truffle: A fragrant mushroom from France and Italy
• Caviar: Salted sturgeon roe, traditionally from the Caspian Sea coasts of Russia and Iran

Regional Delicacies and Drinking Culture

Japan is home to many fascinating regional delicacies, including:

• Kusaya (Tokyo's Izu Islands): Dried fish known for its strong fermented aroma
• Heshiko (Fukui): Mackerel pickled in rice bran, a perfect match for sake
• Various types of shiokara: Salted, fermented squid, firefly squid, octopus, and more, varying by region
• Shuto (Kochi): A specialty salted preparation made from bonito innards

Delicacy Day is a day to enjoy unusual local ingredients—whether found at home or while traveling—as an accompaniment to drinks, and to appreciate the depth of Japan's food culture.