Meguro often reminds people of “Meguro no Sanma (Meguro’s Sanma)”. Why is Meguro famous for sanma even though it is not near the sea? “Meguro no sanma” comes from a rakugo, a traditional Japanese comedic story-telling.

This story is about a shogun during the Edo period, who was enjoying falconry in Meguro and happened to eat sanma at a nearby teahouse. The shogun, who was used to only eating elaborate dishes every day, thought this ordinary dish of grilled fatty fish was very tasty. Back at his castle, the shogun ordered his subordinate to prepare sanma because he could not forget the taste he had enjoyed in Meguro. His cook thought it would not be good to serve fish eaten by commoners to the shogun, so he removed the fish’s fat and bones, steamed instead of grilling, and presented it in a way that he thought his master could eat easily. However, the shogun thought it tasted terrible and said “There is no better sanma than the one in Meguro”.

 

September 5th, 2018
Edited by: Meguro International Friendship Association(MIFA)