Kakimaze (かきまぜ)

Kakimaze is Tokushima’s festival rice dish, a mixed sushi rice loaded with simmered vegetables and, unusually, sweet red kidney beans. Locals also call it barazushi, gomoku-zushi, or mazekuri depending on the town. In the yuzu-growing south, cooks skip brewed vinegar entirely and season the rice with citrus juice instead. English guides usually file this under Japanese mixed rice and leave it there. That description misses the point, though. Kakimaze sits in an awkward gap between mazegohan and chirashi sushi, and the sweet beans confuse almost everyone who tries it first. This guide explains what it actually is, why the beans belong, and how it differs from every other mixed rice dish in Japan. TOCKakimaze at a Glance Here is the short version before the detail. Every point below comes from Japanese government or prefectural sources, listed at the end. Japanese nameKakimaze (かきまぜ), roughly kah-kee-MAH-zehOfficial listingKintoki-mame iri barazushi (金時豆入りばら寿司)Other local namesBarazushi, gomoku-zushi, mazekuri, osumojiRegionTokushima Prefecture, ShikokuRice baseVinegared sushi rice, often seasoned with yuzu or sudachi juiceSignature ingredientSweet-simmered kintoki beans, a red kidne...