Japanese Food Tips

Japanese people often eat fish, and they often eat bluebacks such as mackerels, sardines, saury, and horse mackerels, which are called ao-zakana (blue-backed fish). Among them, horse mackerel is available in the market all year round, but the best season for the fatty fish is around June to August. Horse mackerel is often eaten in a number of ways - simply grilled with salt; as sashimi, if it is fresh; grilled dried horse mackerel (agi no himono); or deep-fried (aji furai). Aji furai existed early in the Meiji period (1868-1915) and is a food with a long history. Even though fish may not be so popular with people in other countries, aji furai may still be an acceptable food for them. When cooking aji furai, skill is required to remove the scales, cut off the head, remove the intestines, open the back, and remove the backbone. In some cases, the prepared horse mackerel are sold in supermarkets with such processes completed so that they can be easily prepared at home. Aji furai is cooked by dipping them in a batter made of beaten egg, water and wheat, coating it with breadcrumbs and deep frying it in oil. Aji furai is usually served with Worcestershire sauce or Japanese-style tartar sauce (chopped boiled egg and parsley in mayonnaise). Aji furai has a crispy outside and a fluffy inside. Aji furai can be found in Japanese restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores, so if you have the chance, please try it.