Grandma's Recipes 
京都府 
* Photo is for reference 兵庫県 🌸 Spring
Japanese Grandma's Simmered Sand Lance (Ikanago no Kugini)
Every spring along Hyogo's coast, grandmothers make enormous batches of kugini — tiny fish simmered in sweet soy until they curl like nails. Families pack it into jars to share with relatives across Japan.
🧂 Ingredients
servings
* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.
| Main Ingredients | |
| Fresh ikanago (sand lance) | A big batch (Must be very fresh) |
| Soy sauce | 適量 (風味付け程度) |
| Mirin | |
| Sugar | |
| Fresh ginger | A good knob (Sliced thinly) |
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar in a flat pan. Bring to boil.
- 2
Spread fish evenly in the boiling sauce.
💡 Don't stir — they'll break apart
- 3
Add ginger. Simmer until fish curl like nails.
💡 Shake the pan gently instead of stirring
- 4
Spread on tray to cool. Store in clean jars.
💡 Keeps weeks refrigerated
📖 Memories & Stories
When spring came, grandma's kitchen smelled like sweet soy sauce for days. She'd fill glass jars and mail them across Japan — her way of staying connected with loved ones far away.
Source: Learned directly from grandmaWritten from memory (Submitted by: らはん)
🍽 Cultural Background
Sand lance season in early spring triggers a cooking frenzy across Hyogo's coastal communities. The tradition of mailing jars to distant family is a beloved springtime ritual.
