Japanese Food Tips

Kamaboko is a semi-cylindrical piece of fish paste on a small board, steamed or baked, and is elastic in texture and does not smell like fish. The board absorbs excess water from the fish paste and thus makes it difficult for mold and bacteria to grow. White fish such as lizardfish, walleye pollack, gutchi (white croaker) and sea bream are used to make it. By the way, kanikama (imitation crab or surimi), as described elsewhere, is a type of fish paste, and it is almost always made from pollock. Kamaboko is to be cut and eaten with soy sauce and/or wasabi and is also used as an ingredient in some dishes, such as a topping for udon (thick white noodles) or soba (buckwheat noodles). Kamaboko in particular is famous for being part of Osechi dishes for the New Year, and usually includes pink and white kamaboko, which represent the congratulatory colors red and white in Japan. Incidentally, since kamaboko was first mentioned in Heian period literature in the year 1115, the Japan Kamaboko Association established November 15 (11/15) as Kamaboko Day. You can find kamaboko at any supermarket or department store in Japan. If you're interested, why not buy it?