Karma is particularly strong when it comes to Japanese cuisine, apparently.

Governer of Akita Prefecture Norihisa Satake got himself in hot water recently over a remark about a regional Japanese dish. On a government meeting on October 23, he claimed that jakoten, an Ehime Prefecture specialty made by frying locally made fish paste, was “binbou kusai“–or “food for poor people”.

Governer Satake apologized after the careless remarks, but that wasn’t enough for the people of Akita Prefecture. Since the incident, orders for Ehime-made jakoten have skyrocketed, with many of the orders coming directly from Akita. One shop claimed they had over 100 orders for it between October 23 and 31.

▼ This is one fish cake you shouldn’t underestimate.

“We were upset at the remark at first,” claimed another shop owner, “but it’s really helped us out with sales. I’m really grateful to the people of Akita.”

Jakoten may not look like the most Instagram-worthy morsel, but it can be enjoyed in all sorts of tasty ways. It’s delicious in a bowl of udon noodles, and you can even find jakoten onigiri if you go to some regional food shops. It also has some serious history; it’s said to be served in Japan as early as 1615.

And so it seems that in this situation, any press is good press. Jakoten is making headlines thanks to the citizens of Akita–and the governor, we suppose–raising awareness for a regional dish that will likely be around for many more years to come.

Sources: NHK News
Featured image: Pakutaso
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