The Kamogawa Food Detectives

‘The sauces are quite subtle too, don’t you think? As his wife, you must have guessed the secret ingredient right away.’ ‘Bitter orange?’ asked Suyako, looking up. ‘That’s right. Seems he used Yamaguchi oranges. Boiled them into a jam for the sweet sauce, mixed the rind with red chilli pepper for the spicy one, and squeezed their juice into the pon

‘Will tea be fine?’ asked Koishi, bringing over a black lacquer tray. On it was the mackerel sushi, arranged on a long, narrow Koimari-ware dish. ‘We have sake too.’

In Kyoto they say the real cold of winter only strikes after Setsubun – the day in early February when, traditionally, people scatter beans out of their front door to ward off evil spirits.

Asuka watched nervously as Nagare transferred a series of tiny plates, each smaller than the palm of his hand, onto the lacquer tray in front of her. ‘These are so pretty!’ she found herself blurting out. ‘Oh, they’re a real mix. Antiques, old Western plates, some by modern artisans . . .’

‘So you call it Kurama-style in Kyoto. Where I’m from, if you simmer something with sansho pepper, that’s Arima-style.’ ‘Must be a case of local pride then. Kurama and Arima are both famous for their sansho, aren’t they?’

Suyako dipped her first piece of tonkatsu in the ponzu sauce, then brought it to her mouth. She chewed carefully on it a few times. Then her face broke into a gentle smile. ‘Delicious.’ The word wasn’t addressed to anyone in particular, but seemed to burst from her mouth. For her second piece, she chose the spicy sauce. This time, before taking a b

‘I think I was just . . . afraid,’ said Nobuko, choosing her words slowly, as though addressing Nejima himself. ‘The idea of happiness pitching up in my life like that all of a sudden – it terrified me.’

‘Well then, Mr Taro Yamada. Let’s get to business. What dish are you looking for?’ asked Koishi. ‘I’d like you to help me with a certain kind of mackerel sushi.’ ‘What kind, exactly?’ asked Koishi, scribbling away with her pen. ‘The refined type they serve at the Izu restaurant? Or something a bit more rough and ready, like you get at Hanaori?’

‘Before you do that, could you sprinkle that stuff in the little ceramic jar into the pot?’ ‘All of it?’ ‘All of it. Scatter it all over, then give the soup a good mix with the ladle. Then whack the heat up. Simmer everything for a bit, crack the egg in, then turn the heat off and pop the lid on right away. Not tightly, though – leave it a little a