Japanese Hamo Pike Conger Kyoto Summer Tradition Bone Cutting

Japan — hamo as Kyoto summer staple from Heian court period; honekiri bone-cutting technique formalised by Kyoto professional kitchen culture; Gion Matsuri association from Edo period

Hamo (鱧, pike conger eel, Muraenesox cinereus) is the definitive fish of Kyoto summer — virtually impossible to eat as sashimi without the distinctive honekiri (bone-cutting) technique because the fish has hundreds of small Y-shaped intramuscular bones that cannot be removed individually. The honekiri technique requires making 24–26 precisely spaced parallel cuts per centimetre across the fillet, cutting through all the intramuscular bones without piercing the skin — the result is a fillet where all bones have been minced into pieces small enough to be chewed and swallowed without harm. This requires an extremely sharp knife (typically a Yanagi or specialised hamokiribōchō), perfect blade angle control, and a cutting speed that suggests the technique was executed in a single motion per section. The transformed fillet is then blanched briefly in boiling water (yudahmo, shabu-shabu style), which causes the cut bone-laced flesh to blossom outward like a chrysanthemum flower — a visual transformation called 'hamo no botan' (peony hamo) used in summer kaiseki. Hamo season aligns with the Kyoto Gion Matsuri festival (July) — 'hamo no Gion' is a saying; the fish's tolerance for being transported alive makes it ideal for inland Kyoto which historically could not receive delicate fish from the sea before spoilage. Modern preparations include hamo shabu-shabu at the table, hamo sushi pressed or rolled, hamo age (deep-fried with light salt), and hamo-zushi from Awaji Island.

Yudahmo presents a delicate, clean white fish flavour with a silky, slightly gelatinous texture from the collagen released during blanching — the bainiku plum paste provides essential acidity that lifts the mild flesh without overwhelming it