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Daily Nihongo (2003 - 2004)

torakris

By torakris
in Japan: Cooking & Baking

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torakris

torakris

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word for 9/24:

シマアジ

shima aji

Like the rest of the aji this fish is at its best in summer and it is found mostly in southern Japan. I found a couple English names for it including striped jack, guelly jack and white trevally...

the shima aji:

http://www.impfoods.com/img/items/ShimaAjiNZ.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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torakris

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word for 9/25:

ゼイゴ

zeigo (zay-goh)

All of the fish in the aji family have a grouping of hard scales that run horizontally by the tail, this is called zeigo and on mature aji needs to be removed beofre cooking.

removing the zeigo:

http://qpchan.cocolog-nifty.com/qpchan/200...0306_121732.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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words for 9/26:

活き造り　　活き作り　生き造り　　生き作り

ikizukuri

活け作り　活け造り　　生け作り　　生け造り

ikezukuri

活造り　　活作り　　生造り　　生作り

ikizukuri or ikezukuri or heck anything you feel like calling it! Do you really need this many ways to write one word! :angry:

ikizukuri/ikezukuri is one ofthe biggest fears of foreigners in Japan, "live" sashimi, this is the fish that just seconds before was swimming around in the tank and is now twitching on your dish.

I personally love this dish an order it whenever I see it on the menu, aji is probably one of the more popular fish you will see on the ikizukuri menu.

ikizukuri:

http://www.saturn.sannet.ne.jp/awajihinode...g/ikizukuri.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 9/27:

寿司　鮨　すし

sushi

Yeah, I know, everyone already knows what sushi is by now, but I ran across this gorgeous picture of aji sushi and just had to post it. Aji makes an incredible sushi...

http://www.noge-sushi.com/okonomi/okonomi-aji.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 9/28:

月見

tsukimi (tsu-key-mee)

From the word "tsuki" meaning moon and the "mi" form the verb to watch or to view, tis is often referred to in English as moon viewing. Today is十五夜(juu-go-ya) or 15th night and this refers to the 15th night of the 8th lunar month which is traditionally one of the most beautiful times to view the moon. Originally it was a celebration for the end of harvest and for sending thanks, nowadays it seems to be celebrated more by trekking down to McDonald's for the tsukimi burger! That is a hamburger with a fried egg on top.

Offerings were often made to the moon of things that were round in shape, mostly tsukimi dango and satoimo (taro) and today the word tsukimi is often added to dish names such as tsukimi udon and the tsukimi burger.

to learn a little bit more about tsukimi (and the rabbits on the moon :blink: ) look here:

http://japanese.about.com/blhiraculture18.htm

and the tsukimi thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=27614

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 9/29:

アジフライ

aji furai (ah-jee foo-rhye)

Furai is the from English word fry and is mostly with deep fried foods. Aji fry are smallish aji that have been gutted, butterflied open and bones removedand usually with the tail kept attached.　They are then dipped in flour, egg and panko and deep fried. Though they can be made at home, they are a very popular souzai (pre-cooked dishes) in supermarkets and department store basements. Sometimes in the fish department you will see the fresh (still raw) aji already butterflied and de-boned just waiting to be fried at home. These packs will often be labled アジフライ用 (aji furai you) which means for use in aji fry.

aji furai:

http://precce.tokyu-store.co.jp/images/05000/ajifurai.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 9/30:

南蛮漬け

nanbanzuke (nahn-bahn-zoo-kay)

Why do we call this type of cooking namban-zuke? Zuke means "to pickle" or "marinate." Namban is an old Chinese word that once referred to people living south of China. In the 16th and 17th centuries, after the word entered the Japanese language, it was used to refer to people in Southeast Asia, and later even included the Portuguese and Spaniards who came to Japan from the south. New and exotic things introduced to Japan from Southeast Asia or other parts of the world were also described as namban

Nanbanzuke is susually made with fish that are deep fried and then "marinated" in a vinegar mixture.

aji no nanbanzuke:

http://oishii-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/recipe/yasainane.htm

and the nanbanzuke thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...st=0&p=304133

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/1:

お好み焼き

okonomiyaki

Today is egullet okonomiyaki day!! :biggrin:

All egullet okonomiyaki lovers are going to prepare okonomiyaki this evening and share their results, look at this thread for more information about okonomiyaki day:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=51387

and this thread is on general okonomiyaki making:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=19221

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/3:

アジの塩焼き　　あじの塩焼き

aji no shioyaki

This is probably one of the most common ways of preparing aji in a Japanese home and also probably the easiest. Shio yaki means salt grilled and this is simply fish that has been sprinkled with salt before grilling.

step by step pictures of preparing aji no shioyaki:

http://www.e-recipe.org/regulars/228/030307_1.html

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/4:

あじのたたき

aji no tataki

we have discussed various tataki before, this is raw fish (or sometimes seared meat) that is chopped (large chunks or finely) and mixed with complimenting garnishes. Aji tataki is a bit more unusual in that it is often served in the hollowed out belly of the fish it came from:

http://www.kitami.jrc.or.jp/eiyou/menu/spring/aji/tataki.jpg

the common flavoring are ginger and scallions.

なめろう

namerou

This is similar to tataki but it includes miso as well and it is a popular food in Chiba prefecture:

http://www.agri.pref.chiba.jp/nourinsui/12...pic/namerou.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/12:

くさや

kusaya (koo-sah-yah)

This is a type of fermented dried fish often made with aji, this explains it better:

An interesting fermented fish product called kusaya comes from the island of Izu. Mackerel and similar fish are soaked in a brine or "kusaya gravy" that is used over and over again because salt was a rare material. After soaking, the fish is dried. In the unused period, the "gravy" was kept alive by adding just one fish fillet. Kusaya is distinguished from other dried fish by its strong, unique, peculiar odor. "If you broil kusaya in your house, the odor will not leave for three months."

from here:

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/japan.html

and a picture:

http://www.trans-usa.com/mike/images/kusaya.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/13:

アジ/あじ開き　　　アジ/あじひらき

aji hiraki (ah-jee he-rah-key)

Hiraki means open, from the verb hiraku (to open), these are fish that have been opened up and partially dried. They are almost always grilled before eating. Though aji is very popular they method of drying fish can be used with many different kinds of fish. These are often collectively referred to as himono (hoshimono) or dried things.

aji no hiraki:

http://www.mir.or.jp/~yamajin/new/002.html

and a previous thread on semi dried fish:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...st=0&p=334587

and the hoshimono (himono) thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=20861&st=0

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/14:

梅煮

ume-ni (u-may-knee)

Ume is from umeboshi the Japanese pickled plum and ni is from the verb niru that means to simmer. So this is essentially umeboshi-simmered or simmered with an umeboshi and this is a common way to simmer fish and you can also see recipes for simmering meats like pork that also call for an addition of an umeboshi.

aji no ume-ni:

http://www.ntv.co.jp/3min/old/9605/0520.html

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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words for 10/15 and 10/16:

as we discussed with saba (mackeral) aji also has a couple of "brands"

関アジ

seki aji

these are caught by single hook fishing off the coast of Oita prefecture:

http://www.city.oita.oita.jp/en/tourism/ka...aberu_seki.html

旬アジ　（ときあじ）

toki-aji

ごんあじ　　　ゴンアジ

gon-aji

These are both from Nagasaki prefecture and are both on the small side, gon-aji are caught along the coast while toki-aji are caught offshore.

toki-aji:

http://www.n-nourin.jp/oh/nfish/brand/tokiaji.html

gon-aji

http://www.newmasumi.com/contents/gonaji.htm

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/17:

あじの骨せんべい

aji no hone sembei

You may be familiar with sembei the Japanese rice cracker snacks. You will often also see deep fried fish bones (hone) referred to as sembei. This snack is a great source of calcium and can be made at home or bought at a store. When cutting the fish into filets you are often left with a midle section comprised of all the bones, deep frying this makes the bones soft enough to eat.

You may also see this on menus (name of fish) no hone karaage or just age (pronounced ah-gay).

aj no hone sembei:

http://www.jf-net.ne.jp/hggyoren/index/osa...sii/ajihone.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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words for 10/19:

アカアマダイ

aka-amadai

red tilefish

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/amadai/am...e/akaamadai.jpg

キアマダイ

ki-amadai

I can't find an English name for this one, so how about yellow tilefish? :biggrin:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/amadai/am...ge/kiamadai.jpg

シロアマダイ

shiro-amadai

I can't find an English name on this one as well, so let's call this one white tilefish! :biggrin:

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/amadai/am.../siroamadai.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/20:

若狭焼き

wakasayaki

This is a speciality of Kyoto, the amadai cut open and flattened and then sprinkled with salt. Itis then grilled over a flame while being brushed with sake, I have seen some variations that include dashi and soy or suggest mirin as a substitute for the sake.

amadai no wakasayaki:

http://amsterdam.park.org/Japan/Kyoto/cult...ori/ek_b073.htm

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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word for 10/22:

台風

taifuu

typhoon

sorry to interrrupt the discussion of amadai, but for those of us living in Japan the last couple of typhoons have been really destructive and it is just starting to take its toll on all of us with skyrocketing prices. Look at this thread for more information:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=53996&hl=

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

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