When visiting Hokkaido in winter, one of the must-try dishes for many locals is "tachi," which refers to the milt of cod. There are two types: "sukedachi" from saffron cod and "shindachi" from true cod. Shindachi is known for its creamy and delicious milt, but it tends to be more expensive. This tatsukama dish uses sukedachi. I bought it to try as it was a limited-time offer. I had it as sashimi and miso soup, but it was a bit disappointing. The texture was like a super bouncy super ball, and it lacked the distinctive flavor of tachi. I hope they can improve the dish to bring out the tachi flavor more and make it lighter and fluffier.

This is also a restaurant I discovered from "Himitsu no Kenmin Show." I was curious about the taste of "tatsukama," but the production is limited to the period from November to March, and I never had the chance to visit Iwanai during the winter, and by the time the biking season started, the "tatsukama" season was already over. I experienced disappointment for about three years, forgetting about it and then remembering that the season had ended. However, this year, I suddenly remembered that there was a famous Iwanai specialty that can only be tasted at this time of year, and when I searched online, it turned out to be "tatsukama." I immediately called the store to confirm that they had started making it today. Since I had a day off the next day, I called again to confirm the production and visited the store. I told the female staff that I had finally visited after learning about it on "Kenmin Show," and she was very happy. She gave me a paper with instructions on how to eat it and taught me the delicious ways to enjoy it. She recommended eating it as sashimi with wasabi soy sauce or sautéed with butter. She also advised that when adding it to miso soup, be careful not to add too much because it is already salty and that overcooking it can cause it to fall apart. She also asked how long it would take me to get home, and when I said three hours, she even prepared ice for me. When I got home, I first tried it as sashimi, and the texture was interesting. It's soft and plump, but it won't break unless you chew it. The flavor is unique with a salty taste, so just a little soy sauce is enough. The butter sautéed version was particularly delicious, with a flavor similar to soy sauce-grilled scallops and a taste reminiscent of dried fish pon taro. The price of 780 yen for a small bag with only three small oranges may seem a bit high, but once you taste it, you'll understand. However, it may not be for everyone. "Tatsukama" is not made every day, so it was fortunate that I was able to visit on the day they made it.

I had been curious about "tatsukama" or "tachikama" for a while, so even though the season for skilfish had passed, I decided to go to Iwanai with a feeling that if I missed it now, I would miss it forever! It is a little far from the city of Iwanai, located along a major road, with an exterior that looks like a general store. The inside of the store is very clean and has a convenience store-like feel. There is also a fresh fish section inside, with items like hokke, flounder, and soi lined up, so it may be effective for those looking for fresh fish which are scarce in Iwanai. The sought-after tachikama is only available until February, so I reluctantly opted for the frozen version. It costs around 500 yen. The store at the city center, which also serves as a tareko (salted cod roe) shop and cafeteria, was also selling it. I enjoyed it as sashimi and in miso soup after naturally thawing it, and it was incredibly chewy! It already has a salty taste, so it's perfect to eat as is. It reminded me of the amazing experience I had at an oden restaurant in the past. The photo shows two pieces, but it actually comes in a pack of three. If you ever visit Iwanai, I highly recommend buying it as a souvenir! Thank you for the meal!

This time, I visited a place called Miyaen in Iwanai Town, where I tried a special food called "Tatsukama". I had seen it on a TV show before and was curious to try it. After some difficulty finding the place using Google Maps and GPS, I finally arrived. The shop was not just a fish market, but more like a general store with a fish section. I asked the staff about "Tatsukama" and was told they only had frozen ones available. I bought two packs and tried it at home. The texture was soft yet firm, and it was quite salty. I tried it raw as sashimi first, then cooked it with butter. It was interesting and unique, and I would like to try it in miso soup or oden next time.

In February 2014, the town of Iwanai's "Tachikama" was featured on the Kenmin SHOW. It seems like Iwanai has appeared on the show several times in the past. Recently, a salesperson who visits our company came by. Surprisingly, he said he was heading to Iwanai and couldn't join me for lunch. I usually ask him to bring back some awabi (abalone) shiokara from Iwanai, as I love the one processed by Ishizuka Suisan in Iwanai. This time, he also offered to bring back Tachikama, which was featured on the Kenmin SHOW before. Tachikama is made of pollack milt, starch, and salt, and it's a type of kamaboko (fish cake). It's well-known in the town, especially from Ozaki Shoten and Yoshida Shoten. This time, I got it from "Lucky Iwanai Store." The package said "Tatsunokamaboko" and contained three pieces for around 800 yen. It's recommended to eat it as sashimi with soy sauce or pan-fried with butter. I tried both ways. The texture is soft and chewy, similar to hanpen (a type of fish cake) but closer to konjac in terms of chewiness. It's quite salty, so if it feels too salty, you can soak it in water for about 30 minutes to reduce the saltiness. It goes well with sake as sashimi, but I preferred the pan-fried version as it enhanced the cod flavor and the creamy texture of the tachikama. It made me crave wine instead of sake (laughs). Tachikama is a winter delicacy in Iwanai town, perfect for oden, hot pot, and soups.

My father bought a rare item for me on 5th December 2011. It was called "Tatsunokamaboko", which is basically a fancy fish cake. I was quite interested in trying it out! Thank you, dad! I had high expectations as I tried it. However, this... can't really be called delicious (laughs). The texture was different from what I expected, and the taste was just like regular fish cake. The chewy texture was indeed unique, but overall, it wasn't worth eating. Honestly, it was a disappointing ingredient. It just didn't suit my taste. What a shame!!

Visited on December 8, 2022! Tachikama for 830 yen.

Visited on January 11, 2021! Tachikama for 750 yen.

Visited Lucky Iwanai store on December 8, 2020 and bought Tatsuno Kamaboko (3 pieces) for 1,000 yen.