In this article, we would like to answer a question we often receive regarding “Kakinoha Sushi Leaves”.
Q: Can I eat the “kaki noha” (persimmon leaf) in kakinoha sushi?
A: Please do not eat the leaves, peel them off and eat only the sushi.
This is a question we receive very often. Kakinoha Sushi was originally a local dish of the Yoshino region, a mountainous village area in Nara, and was created as a preserved food for people living in deep mountain villages.
This was because wrapping the sushi in persimmon leaves prevented it from drying out and made it “last longer”. Nowadays, it is also known that persimmon leaves have antiseptic properties.
Therefore, be sure to peel off the persimmon leaves and eat them.
Q: Why can I make sushi with persimmon leaves all year round?
A: Persimmon leaves harvested in the fresh green season around May are preserved in salt.
Persimmon leaves are usually harvested in batches during the fresh green season around May for a year’s supply. The harvested persimmon leaves are then pickled in salt and preserved.
Q: Why are they wrapped in persimmon leaves in the first place?
A: To make the precious mackerel in the mountainous Nara/Yoshino region tasty and long-lasting.
Kakinoha sushi is a local dish originally from the Yoshino region of Nara. In this mountainous region, mackerel was a precious food brought in by peddlers. The mackerel was not raw, but was salted beforehand to preserve it.
The mackerel was sliced thinly and combined with vinegared rice to make sushi, which was then wrapped in a persimmon leaf that was nearby.
Wrapping the sushi in the leaf prevented the rice from drying out and allowed it to last longer. Later, it was also discovered that persimmon leaves have antiseptic properties.
