Nuka-daki varies by household and restaurant. The report distinguishes a traditional style, using only nuka-doko as seasoning, and a modern style that may use sugar, soy sauce, mirin and other seasonings.
Yano-style nuka-doko
Ajidokoro Yano's nuka-doko uses no soy sauce, sake, mirin or white sugar. Rather than a sweet soy-simmered fish dish, it lets diners taste the aroma of nuka-doko and the umami of the fish.
Appearance and flavor
Some nuka-daki looks dark because of added seasonings. Yano-style is comparatively pale, even whitish, because those seasonings are not added. The dish is best enjoyed through fermentation aroma and umami rather than color intensity.
What it preserves
As fewer households keep nuka-doko, restaurants have an important role in keeping nuka-daki accessible. Yano-style offers a way to taste something close to the traditional style at a modern table.
Source: Kitakyushu City, Research Report on Rediscovering the Food-Cultural Value of Kitakyushu's Local Dish Nuka-daki (March 2025).