Off the southeast corner of 本州島 (honshū shima) Honshū Island, Japan's largest is 四国島 (shikoku shima), Shikoku Island, Japan. On the northern shore of the island is 香川県 (kagawa ken), Kagawa Prefecture, home to a very different type of fish sauce.
いかなご醤油 (ikanago shoyu) is made from いかなご (ikanago), a type of fish known in English as 'sand lance', Ammodytes personatus.
Ikanago-shoyu - konbudoi.shop-pro.jp
What sets this sauce apart is that instead of being fermented in the normal way using salt, the fish are fermented in 醤油 (shoyu), Japanese soy sauce in a ratio of two parts fish to one soy sauce. After 100 days, it is ready. This compares to the one to three years for traditionally made fish sauce.
The sauce is saltier but less fishy than other fish sauces, but because of its more intense savoury umami-rich flavour is used in smaller qualities.
I would describe it as a fish flavoured soy sauce at her than a soy flavoured fish sauce. This makes it a good dip for sashimi and sushi.
It also wakes up soups and noodles. a couple of drops in your ramen is recommended.
I have great memories of a dish of pickled wild mushrooms served with a ikanago-shoyu and ginger dip in Tokyo.
