foodstuffs
fish & seaweed

Bonito flakes (katsuo-bushi) are shaved smoked and dried bonito. They are used for soup stock or as a topping.

Dried sea tangle (konbu) is often used for soup stock. Dried sea tangle and bonito flakes are essential ingredients of Japanese dishes.

Dried hijiki is a kind of seaweed. It is soaked in water and usually boiled together with vegetables in broth.

Dried wakame is a kind of seaweed. After it is soaked in water, it is used in making miso soup. Wakame is very low–calorie and healthy.

Himono are different kinds of fish which have been sun–dried about one day. Grilling is the only way they are prepared. Horse mackerels are used a lot for himono.

Dried laver (nori) is pressed into a paper – thin sheet and dried. Dried laver is not soaked in water. It is used for maki-zushi, rice balls, etc. Laver is a kind of seaweed.

Raw fish is used for sashimi and sushi.

Kamaboko, chikuwa and naruto are fish paste made from fish such as sea bream and codfish. Kamaboko and chikuwa are eaten with soy sauce and/or wasabi and are also used as an ingredient in some recipes. Kamaboko is included in osechi-ryoori, which is food eaten only on the first three days of the New Year. Chikuwa is famous in often used in oden. Naruto has a pink whirl pattern. It is used in Tokyo-style ramen, Kanto-style ozoni, etc.

Green laver (ao-nori) is a kind of seaweed. It is often dried and is cut into very tiny squares. It is used in fried noodles (yaki-soba), Japanese-style pancakes (okonomi-yaki, negi-yaki), octopus balls (tako-yaki), fried thick white noodles (yaki-udon).

Dried small shrimps (hoshi-ebi) are often made from sakura-ebi which are very small shrimps caught in Shizuoka Prefecture near Mt. Fuji. They are used in Japanese-style pancakes (okonomi-yaki, negi-yaki).

Agar (kanten) is a gelatin made from seaweed and its use in cooking originated in Japan in the 17th century. One method of making it is by freezing agar–agar, and then squeezing it and dehydrating the agar-agar extract. It is often used for sweets. It is popular as a diet food because it is made from dietary fiber and has few calories. Agar is classified into three basic types - cuboid, string and powder.

Nemacystus Decipiens (mozuku) is a kind of seaweed made in shallow waters from the tropical to the temperate zones. It contains a lot of minerals, dietary fiber, etc. and is very healthy. It can be prepared with vinegar and sugar, and also can be added to miso soup or served as tempura.