nanban-zuke

[torakris]

I love nanban-zuke.

I am never sure though where it falls food category-wise.

It is deep fried, so could be considered an agemono, but then the marinate it in a vinegar essentially pickling it.....

It can be made with most fish, normally ayu (sweet fish) , aji (horse mackeral), or saba (mackeral), or even smaller smelt type fishes. I also make it with chicken and once amde it with salmon that was quite good. i am sure pork would be nice as well.

How do you like your nanbanzuke?

for those unfamiliar with it please look here:

http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia8/bon.html

recipe for the mackeral version is included

[Hiroyuki]

I'm sorry that the link is broken AND no one has ever responded to your question!

Have you found an answer to your question yet?

It is classified as sunomono in this site:

http://amsterdam.park.org/Japan/Kyoto/cult...ori/ek_b034.htm

For ease of reference, here are some sites on nanban-zuke:

http://www.hakutsuru-sake.com/content/031.html

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

I like nanban-zuke, but rarely make it, I almost always get it from supermarkets. I think that mackerel and chicken versions are often sold at supermarkets, and I like both of them very much.

[tootallfortoques]

Here's the corrected version of the link Kris was trying to provide http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia8/bon.html (Niponia moved to a different server).

I like making nanban-zuke with smelts. I also use leftover (often intentionally) chicken that has been marinated in sake and shoyu for yakitori. The marinating (typically overnight) makes the chicken super-tender.

[smallworld]

This is from the original link

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. One example is namban-garashi (hot red peppers), which came to Japan around this time and which are used in this recipe. Perhaps this is the origin of the word, namban-zuke. According to another theory, even the art of marinating deep-fried food in vinegar came from abroad.

Very odd explanation- the art of marinating deep-fried food in vinegar DID come from abroad (as did the art of deep-frying itself), it was introduced by the Portugese. I've always assumed that the 'nanban' in nanban-zuke referred to the Portugese who introduced the dish.

The Portugese and Spanish enjoy the dish, which I think they call escabeche, in their own countries and have introduced it to all the places they colonized or settled in.

One of my favourite Jamaican dishes is escovitch fish- very similar to nanban-zuke, but with larger fish (usually snapper) and more heat. Here is a picture (third pic from the top):

http://www.memoriesofjamaica.com/gallery.html

When I was there this February I accidentally ordered a very Japanese-looking meal- escavitch fish with rice and peas, and bowl of red pea soup on the side. The rice and peas look just like sekihan and the soup, although savoury, looks a lot like shiruko- complete with little white dumplings.

I just love how certain dishes or ingredients can travel the world and show up in the most diverse cuisines.

[torakris]

Last night I made a nabanzuke with wakasagi (Japanese smelts). I used katakuriko (potato) starch instead of flour for the deep frying because a book recommended it but I didn't care for it.

What do you usually use to deep fry for nanbanzuke?

[helenjp]

I usually use half potato starch and half regular flour. I almost wonder if potato starch is processed a different way (finer granules, for example???) now, because I think it seems to form a pasty coating very easily, rather than the almost hard crispy coating I remember from years ago. Or maybe I'm just getting senile.

I heard the same thing as smallworld says about the origins of the dish. It's certainly a winner - good warm or cold, suits a variety of foods, keeps well.