Daily Nihongo (2003 - 2004)

[torakris]

word for 5/7:

さばの竜田揚げ

saba no tatsuta-age (sah-bah noh tah-tsu-tah ah-gay)

Though I have seen variations that vary widely, in general anything with the word tatsuta in the name will have been marinated with soy and ginger and then coated with katakuriko ( a type of potato starch) and then deep fried. I have seen recipes however that call for no ginger and one of my favorites is a chicken tatsuta that I make with a whipped egg white coating....

The name tatsuta, comes from the Tatsuta river near Nara that is famous for its red maples in Autumn, when deep fried these pieces are thought to resemble those red maple leaves...

The chicken tatsuta sandwich has been a staple at McDonald's here for years.

a picture and a recipe:

http://www.openkitchen.net/cook/saba/saba.html

[torakris]

back to saba!

Let's look at a couple words or phrases that you often run across when talking about saba.

word for 5/10:

三枚おろし

sanmai oroshi (sahn-my oh-rhoe-she)

If you remember from our talk on counters (ways to count things) the word mai 枚 refers to flat things like paper, in this case of talking about fish it referring to fillets. San means three and thus this could be called three piece filleting and it is probably the most common way you will see saba cut or else a recipe will start out by telling you to cut the whole saba this way. You are left with three pieces, two fillets and a section with the bones, here is what it looks like:

http://www.tsuji.ac.jp/hp/gihou/Basic_Tech...ish/amadai2.htm

[torakris]

word for 5/11:

脂が乗っている　（乗っています）

abura ga notteiru (notteimasu)

This phrase is not particular to saba but also used for many fish and meats. This translates as "fatty" but in a good, delicious way. The first word abura means fat and notteiru (or notteimasu) are from the verb noru which means to get on or ride, this is the same verb you would use to say you are riding in a car.

As we are learning with today's word and the discussion of assari is that words like fatty and bland that we normally think of as descriptions of food that sound quite unappetizing, have quite different meaning is Japan and are actually prized qualities in food.

[torakris]

Time to move away from saba....

word for 5/12:

鰆　さわら　サワラ

sawara (sah-wah-rah)

Spanish mackeral

[torakris]

5/13

Leｔ’s talk about sawara a little bit....

They tend to avaerage about 1 meter in length and can be found in waters along the whole length of Japan, actually they can be found from Hokkaido all the way down to Australia. Though it is eaten and enjoyed all over Japan it seems to be much more popular in the Western part (Osaka/Kyoto area and down). It's shun (season) is spring, and actually the character for it's name in made up of the characters for fish and spring. Having said that it is actually best eaten anytime between October to March and in the Tokyo area January and February is when you can find the kan-sawara (寒鰆) or "cold" sawara. If you remember from the post on kan-saba, this is when the fish is at it's fattiest (a good thing!) right before it lays it's eggs

[torakris]

words for 5/14:

Sawara is one of those fish that has different names depending on it's size, so it is really only referred to as sawara if it is over about 80cm.

If it is smaller than about 50cm then it is called

さごち sagochi (in the Kanto area)

さごし sagoshi (in the Kansai area)

you find this young sawara in the fall

if the fish is between 50cm and 80cm then it is called

やなぎ　or 　なぎ yanagi or nagi

[torakris]

words for 5/15:

let's look at some of the different types of sawara that are available, this link provides some grat pictures:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/saba/sawara.html

in order from top to bottom

サワラ　　sawara also sometimes referred to as 本サワラ (honsawara), this is the one most common in Japan and found up and down the coast, the first picture is of an 80cm sawara and the second picture is a 40cm sagochi (sagoshi)

オーストラリアサワラ Australia sawara

ヒラサワラ hira sawara

ヨコシマサワラ yokoshima sawara

カマスサワラ kamasu sawara

タイワンサワラ Taiwan sawara, this one isn't pictured but is another type available in Japan

[torakris]

word for 5/17:

西京漬

saikyouzuke (sigh-kyou-zoo-kay)

This is probably one of the most common ways sawara is eaten in a Japanese home, this "marinade" can be used on many different fish but sawara is one of the most popular. The main ingredients are white miso, mirin and/or sake, the fish is "marinated" with this and then grilled. Though it can be quite simple to prepare most people seem to prefer to buy it already coated with the miso mixture and then grill it at home, myself included.

sawara no saikyouzuke

[torakris]

continuing on with sawara...

another common preparation for this this fish is

word for 5/18:

さわらの塩焼き

sawara no shioyaki

Shioyaki simply refers to a fish that has been sprinkled with salt and grilled, most fish can be prepared in this way, from fillers to whole fish.

sawara no shioyaki:

http://www.danran.co.jp/gensen_171.htm

[torakris]

word for 5/18:

からすみ　カラスミ

karasumi

karasumi is the salted and dried roe of sawara, a speciality of the Sanuki region it can be an acquired taste.

karasumi:

http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/eizo/vol003/en/area/tyu3/03.htm

[torakris]

word for 5/20:

タチウオ　　太刀魚

tachiuo (tah-chi-ooh-oh) the u and o sort of blend together

In English it is referred to as Atlantic Cutlass or Largehead Hairtail

This fish is quite popular in Japan, pulled in from bays and shallow oceans over pretty much all of the world it is available most of the year. It is an ugly fish with a long eel like body, silvery white skin and sharp claw like teeth, this shape is what gives it its name, a tachi is a Japanese sword with a curved blade that looks like this:

http://www.karatedepot.com/wp-sw-17.html

this is the fish:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/htrd401w.jpg

Edited May 19, 2004 by torakris (log)

[torakris]

word for 5/21:

ムニエル

munieru (moo-knee-eh-rhue)

This is the Japanese pronunciation of the French word meuniere, the technique of coated fish in flour then sauteing in butter and serving it with lemon. This technique is popularin Japan as well and tachiuo is a fish that particularly takes to this preparation.

Tachiuo is a very versatile fish and is served in amultitude of ways in Japan, sashimi, depp fried, sautee, simmered, grilled, shio-yaki, etc....

tachiuo no munieru:

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~nz3y-mr/fcooktachi.htm

[Hiroyuki]

word for 5/17:

西京漬

saikyouzuke (sigh-kyou-zoo-kay)

Let me show you another saikyozuke, salmon saikyozuke.

Some people just wipe the miso paste off before grilling while others (like me) wash it off with running water.

[torakris]

word for 5/22:

ハタハタ

hatahata (hah-tah-hah-tah)

Sailfin sandfish

During the winter months of January and February in Akita, the weather is often snowy and the skies are full of thunder and lightning. Also, during these months, a fish typical of Akita, the Hatahata, or sailfin sandfish, can be caught along the shore. Usually, this fish lives deep in the Sea of Japan, but in the winter, it comes close to the shores of Akita to spawn at places rich in seaweed. In ancient times, it is said that so many fish were caught that cats would ignore them.

For more about the hatahata fish look here:

http://www.media-akita.or.jp/akita-shoku/h...ata-sushiE.html

and for a picture:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/wanigisua...ge/hatahata.jpg

[torakris]

words for 5/23:

these are some different ways to enjoy hatahata

ぶりこ

buriko

hatahata roe

ハタハタの鮓

hatahata no sushi

this is usually made in the traditional nare-zushi style, it is a fermented sushi that is "pickled" in salt

湯あげ

yuage

in this dish the hatahata is gently boiled whole in a kelp broth and then enjoyed with various condiments

干ハタハタ

hoshi hatahata

this is the hatahata version of the semi dried fish

pictures of all of these dishes can be found here:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/wanigisuamoku/hatahata.html

[torakris]

word for 5/24:

エボダイ　 　or　　　イボダイ

ebodai (eh-boh-die) or ibodai (ee-boh-die)

Japanese butterfish

This is a small fish that can be found in most parts of Japan and is most popular in the summer. Ibodai is its "true" name but it is called ebodai in the Kanto area, though a little more south in Kansai it can be referred to as boze and even farmer south in Kyushu it may be called shizu.

ebodai:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/ibodai/ib...mage/ibodai.jpg

[torakris]

5/25:

Ebodai are a really versatile fish can be used in almost any preparation. You will see them as sashimi, sauteed and deep fried, but they seem to be most common in the semi-dried form:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/ibodai/ib...age/ibodaid.jpg

or simmered:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/ibodai/ib...age/ibodaic.jpg

[torakris]

word for 5/26:

メダイ

medai (may-die)

The fish is related to the ebodai and it is also referred to as butterfish in English (same as ebodai), but I have also found it called raftfish or medusafish. The medai is found off the coast of central and southern Japan and is at its best during the fall and winter months. This fish can grow to over 1 meter long and is a popular fish to be caught during recreational fishing.

Like the ebodai it is very versatile and can be eaten as sashimi, shio-yaki, teriyaki or simmered.

medai:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/ibodai/me...image/medai.jpg

[torakris]

word for 5/27:

カマス　　かます

kamasu (kah-mah-sue)

There are two types of kamasu in Japan:

アカカマス aka-kamasu, aka means red and this fish has a red tinge to it, known as red barracuda in English it can be found from Tokyo Bay and south, it tastes best in early winter an averages about 50cm in length.

ヤマトカマス yamato-kamasu, known as Japanese barracuda in English is smaller than the aka-kamasu at only about 30 cm. It is fished off the coast of Southern Japan and is in season from summer to early fall.

both fish (aka-kamasu on top, yamato-kamasu under it):

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/boramoku/...mage/hikaku.jpg

[torakris]

word for 5/28:

開き

hiraki (he-rah-key)

The word hiraki comes from the verb hiraku which means to open. This is a popular style of himono (hoshimono) or semi-dried fish. The fish is opened up flat and then dried. Kamasu no hiraki is a very popular way of eating teh smaller kamasu.

kamasu no hiraki:

http://www.koshiki.jp/tokusan/kamasu-hiraki.html

[torakris]

oops, I was so busy thinking about the soy class I forgot a word for today.

word for 5/29:

ごめんなさい

gomen nasai (goh-men nah-sigh)

I'm sorry

though for some reason I have a feeling I may have used this word before.....

[Pan]

Maybe so, but what does it mean?

[jrufusj]

Maybe so, but what does it mean?

[drum roll] It means [/drum roll] .... "I'm sorry."

[Pan]

Oh. Duh. Perhaps you can see how I didn't get it, though.

[torakris]

I believe way back we were talking about kamasu (red/Japanese barracuda).

Beside eating in the dried hiraki style, kamasu can be eaten in a multitude of ways from sashimi to deep fried, sauteed, simmered, etc. Becasue of the smallish size of the fish it is most often cooked and served with the head and tail intact.

Here are some pictures of various preparations of kamasu (scroll down to see them all):

http://www.toshin.co.jp/cook/00_06/kamasu/kamasu.html