Tsuruga was once a major hub for foodstuffs and other supplies, due to the Kitamaebune trading ships that stopped at this port town on their journey south.
Kombu kelp was a particularly important food: during the Edo period (1603–1867), it was brought south from Hokkaido, to be processed by the experienced artisans of Tsuruga.
Oboro shaved kombu requires extraordinary skill to produce. Premium oboro kombu, aged for a year or two, is used at prestigious restaurants in cities like Kyoto and Osaka.
This elegant dish combines delicate Wakasa guji tilefish and Tsuruga’s traditional slowly aged Kuragakoi kombu, alongside a stock made from steamed vegetables and shellfish. The crisp shaved oboro shaved kombu can be enjoyed as-is, or dipped in the soup for an even richer flavor. Truly, a dish where the kombu is the star, showing off the depth of flavor it brings.
Long, thin sashimi strips of winter crucian carp caught in Lake Kitagata, in northern Fukui, are paired tartare-style with powdered Tsuruga kombu kelp, and served with a jellied sauce made with kombu. This unique new approach to kombu dishes incorporates the mild bitterness of chrysanthemum and a Fukui mustard-miso sauce topped with a tart, bonito-flake-flavored vinegar foam, for a distinctive combination of complex flavors.