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Daily Nihongo (2005 - )

torakris

By torakris
in Japan: Cooking & Baking

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torakris

torakris

Posted
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2/23:

棒鱈

boudara

Dried cod, the innards are removed and they are often dried outside whole. You might also find this product as hoshidara or hidara (干し鱈　干鱈) and sometimes even as shiodara (塩鱈) though this last one is more often used to refer to the "salt cod" used in other cuisines. This tara is dried rock hard and it takes almost a week, with daily water changes, to rehydrate it.

a picture of boudara hanging out to dry

A short (English) article on how to prepare boudara

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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2/24:

いもぼう　　いも棒

imobou

This dish, a speciality of Kyoto, is made with boudara and a kind of satoimo (taro). Apparently this dish can be traced back to the man who created it and his family still runs the restaurant that made it famous.

Information about the restaurant Imobou Hiranoyahonke in English

The Japanese homepage

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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2/25:

鱈の昆布締め 鱈の昆布〆

tara no kobujime

Kobujime is a way of seasing raw fish (and sometimes meats), the fish is lightly salted then wrapped in sheets of kelp (kobu, kombu, konbu). It is often pressed with weights and left for anywhere from hours to days.

tara no kobujime

the kobujime thread

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/2:

白子

shirako

Cod sperm sacs

This winter delicacy is loved by the Japanese, but it often takes a while for us foreigners to learn to love it. It is one of my favorites now but it wasn't always.... :biggrin:

Shirako can come from either the madara or the sukesoudara but the madara is considered higher quality and thus is much more expensive.

Here is a picture of both of them, the shirako from the madara is 1000yen while that of the sukeoudara in only 350 yen.

And for those of you that have never enjoyed this dish yet, here is a better close up.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/3:

白子ポン酢

shirako ponzu

This is probably the most common way you will find shirako served. It is served raw in a ponzu sauce often with grated daikon radish and some scallions.

shirako ponzu

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/5:

たらこ

tarako

cod roe

Most of the cod roe consumed in Japan is from the sukesoudara rather than the madara. The cod roe from the madara is quite large and doesn't look so pretty. (second picture, the ugly brown thing)

This is the tarako most people are familiar with, this is the salted version of the roe from sukesoutara.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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Posted (edited)

3/6:

明太子　めんたいこ

Mentaiko is a Japanese delicacy made from the roe of the pollock fish marinated in chilli. It is a famous product of Fukuoka City. Mentaiko originated in Korea and was brought to Japan after Japanese colonies in Korea were repatriated after WW2. The name is derived from the Korean word for cod 明太 (mentai/myong tae) and the Japanese word for child 子(ko). It is also known as Karashi Mentaiko 辛子明太子.

from here

EDIT

OOPS! forgot to include the mouthwatering picture.

click

Edited by torakris (log)

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/7:

たらこスパゲティ 明太子スパゲティ

tarako spaghetti mentaiko spaghetti

These are probably the most common of the Japanese style pasta sauces.

There is quite a bit of discussion in the Japanese Pasta thread.

mentaiko spaghetti

gallery_6134_549_36643.jpg

You can even buy the sauce ready made in squeeze bottles and retort packs, like this one from Kewpie. They even have a (cute?) kewpie tarako mascot...

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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Hiroyuki

Hiroyuki

Posted
Posted

I remember when I was small (in the 1960s), I never ate tarako raw. My mother always grilled it. Things have changed, and my son always eats it raw.

I wasn't sure whether it is only me and my family until I found this:

当時の日本には、たらこを焼いて食べる習慣はあったが、生で食べる習慣はなく、

from here

Japanese now seem to have different opinions about whether to grill tarako. You will know what I mean by reading this blog (Japanese only).

My blog
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torakris

torakris

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I remember when I was small (in the 1960s), I never ate tarako raw.  My mother always grilled it.  Things have changed, and my son always eats it raw.

I wasn't sure whether it is only me and my family until I found this:

当時の日本には、たらこを焼いて食べる習慣はあったが、生で食べる習慣はなく、

from here

Japanese now seem to have different opinions about whether to grill tarako. You will know what I mean by reading this blog (Japanese only).

That is interesting!

I always assumed they were both meant to be eaten raw and that grilling was just one option for when you got bored with it raw. :biggrin:

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/8:

焼きたらこ　　焼き明太子

yaki tarako yaki mentaiko

grilled tarako or mentaiko, this is much more common with tarako

This is very simple to do at home with a net over a flame, but it can also be purchased already grilled. Yaki tarako can be eaten just like that but it can also be used in other dishes, most commonly onigiri and ochazuke.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/9:

おにぎり　　おむすび

onigiri omusubi

rice balls

Tarako and mentaiko are very popular fillings for onigiri and can be enjoyed in various ways.

This site shows a couple tarako/mentaiko variations

4th row down #4 mentaiko and okra, #6 mentaiko and mayo

5th row down #3 yaki tarako, #4 tarako and mentaiko mix, #6 straight mentaiko

The onigiri thread

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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3/13:

生たらこ

nama tarako

"raw" tarako

Most tarako that you see in stores is salted (preserved). In the winter you may also see packs of nama tarako, these are tarako that have had nothing done to them. They seem to be most commonly used in simmered dishes.

nama tarako

nama tarako nimono (simmered dish)

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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I am sorry to be ignoring this thread and the forum recently....

I have been really busy with the end of the school year as well as filming for a tv show on which I will be making an appearance. :biggrin:

I still have about 5 to 7 days more of filming and will be available online as often as I usually am. For those who live in Japan, the new show is called 'Okusama wa gaikokujin' and it will be a documentary style show focusing on the lives of foreign wives.

Currently my show is set to be aired on May 9th (Tues) from 8 to 9.

More info on the show can be found here.

I will be returning to this thread shortly!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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Oh, TV Tokyo!  I can't watch your show here in Niigata. :sad:

Maybe they will something on the website then.....

They are really focusing on my cooking this time! (I did a similar show 5 years ago) They have already filmed a cooking class, tomorrow they are filming me making sausages and on 4/9 I am throwing a party for some of my husband's co-workers. If it is nice weather I think I am going to BBQ.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

torakris

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I just found out that the one of the two hosts of the show is Yuji Miyake from the Dochi no Ryouri show!!

The other is Tetsuya Takeda (from 3年Ｂ組fame).

Since almost half of the show is going to be in studio, I am going to meet Miyake-san! I am so excited.

The sausage filming went great yesterday....

smoked andouille sausages

gallery_6134_119_25326.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
torakris

torakris

Posted
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I am sorry to be ignoring this thread and the forum recently....

I have been really busy with the end of the school year as well as filming for a tv show on which I will be making an appearance. :biggrin:

I still have about 5 to 7 days more of filming and will be available online as often as I usually am. For those who live in Japan, the new show is called 'Okusama wa gaikokujin' and it will be a documentary style show focusing on the lives of foreign wives.

Currently my show is set to be aired on May 9th (Tues) from 8 to 9.

More info on the show can be found here.

I will be returning to this thread shortly!

Well the filming has finished, we spent the day at the studio yesterday taping the last part with Miyake-san and Takeda-san. We had a blast! Those guys are hysterical!

The show is still set to air on 5/9.

Now it is back to normal life.....

where did we leave off??

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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helenjp

helenjp

Posted
Posted

Aha! I knew you'd posted the date of your show and couldn't find it (writes busily on calendar...).

I am certainly looking forward to watching you make sausages!

Tarako - because it's so handy, I'm surprised (but also a little relieved!) that it is isn't more commonly available in tubes or freeze-dried etc. When I get some cheap tarako, I sometimes make tarako-butter, which is very handy for the bento wars every morning.

Helenjp

* Pickles foodblog

* New Year foodblog

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