Worth Taking Note
[Shiba Mochi] Similar to grains such as millets and wheats, dango mugi grows quite easily and is quite healthy. Being able to eat this dish is very special now that only 3 people in all of Kamagari are actually growing it.

[Sea cucumber]
Who would have know you could sea cucumbers? Until now, I have only stepped on them in the ocean.

How was it?
[Shiba Mochi]
Excellent. You may never be able to go back to rice dumplings after tasting this. Whereas rice dumplings have little fragrance, the shiba mochi has a wonderful rich barley fragrance that makes the dumpling even more delicious.

[Sea cucumber]
Not bad. It has a very chewey texture. The taste of the spicy hot pepper seasoning made the sea cucumber itself seem almost flavorless.

Hiroshima Prefecture
Until the 1950's almost every farmer in Kamagari grew and ate dishes made from dango mugi. The glutinous barley replaced mochi or glutinous rice that most Japanese used in festivals and religious ceremonies. Climate on the island prevented inhabitants from growing rice. The introduction of mikan (Japanese tangerines) to the are as a cash crop in the 60's and 70's almost wiped out dango mugi completely. Currently people like Mr. Harada and some of his friends are seeking ways to carry on the tradition.
Live by the sea, eat by the sea. All along the Seto Inland Sea, people have created ways to eat all kinds of shell fish, fish, and even sea cucumbers. The Inland Sea has been a source of vitality for those who live nearby for a long time.

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