Kombu-Maki (Herring Rolled in Simmered Kombu)
Quick answer
- Active time
- 270 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Each slice shows a dark spiral of kombu wrapped around soaked dried herring, glossy with a sweet soy glaze that reaches between the layers.
Read more
The rolls come from the Hidaka area of Hokkaido, and because kombu sounds like yorokobu, to rejoice, they appear in New Year osechi boxes and at celebrations.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Submerge the dried herring in rice-rinsing water and refrigerate overnight.
Rinse thoroughly in cold water, pat dry, cut to the width of the kombu, and remove protruding pin bones.
- 2
Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth and cut into about 15 cm pieces.
Place herring on each piece, roll tightly, and tie in two places with washed kanpyo. Keep the rolls similar in thickness.
- 3
Arrange the rolls in one layer in a heavy, wide pot and add 2000 ml water.
Bring to a boil, skim, cover with a drop lid, and simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, topping up water, until the kombu cuts easily with chopsticks.
- 4
When the initial liquid is about halfway up the rolls, add the sugar and simmer 15 minutes.
Add mirin, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt, replace the drop lid, and simmer 40 to 60 minutes, until seasoned through and the liquid is shallow.
- 5
Turn off the heat and cool the rolls to lukewarm in their liquid.
Cut between the kanpyo ties into 3 to 4 cm pieces, divide among four plates, and inspect the cut faces for remaining bones.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- 일본 농림수산성 うちの郷土料理
「北海道の味」（南部 あき子氏） · Checked: 2026-08-11
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