Sakana Lesson

In Japan, it is customary to serve alcoholic drinks with snacks called , , or . These are usually quite salty and served in relatively small portions. Sakana are usually more substantial than tapas, although they are not considered a meal since they are not accompanied by rice. Traditionally, the Japanese regarded sake, which is made from rice, as a substitute for white rice served in a standard Japanese meal, and as a result some Japanese do not eat rice and drink alcohol simultaneously.

Sakana are served in drinking establishments known as izakaya. When first seated in an izakaya, an ''otoshi'' (お通し) or appetizer is placed on the table before any drinks are ordered. This ''otoshi'' is covered in the otoshi fee or seating charge on the bill. Common otoshi include cabbage salad (often refilled free of charge), Japanese-style potato salad, tsukemono, and shiokara. Sakana are ordered throughout the time one is drinking and come to the table a few at a time. It is common to order a different kind of sakana as a ''shime'', last dish. ''Shime'' are often softer dishes like noodles or sweeter dishes like tamagoyaki.

It is common for sakana to also be served at home or in private when alcohol is consumed. There are a variety of cookbooks that give examples of sakana that are easy to prepare at home. Combini and other stores that sell alcohol often have a selection of pre-packaged dried snacks, canned items, and pickles designed to be consumed as sakana.

Sakana were originally designed to be paired with shochu or sake. Since the 19th century, the market share for Japanese beer has expanded in Japan. In 1959 beer overtook sake as the nation's most popular alcoholic beverage in taxable shipping volume, and at the same time various foods designed to accompany beer have become popular. There are also sakana designed to be paired with wine.

Sakana have embraced not only '' washoku'', Japanese cuisine, but also '' yōshoku'', western influenced dishes. It is not uncommon to encounter Naporitan or Italian style pasta, pizza, cheese, gyoza, kimchi, and namul in modern izakaya. Some of the most common sakana are actually '' yōshoku'', including potato salad, korokke and other deep fried foods.

Etymology

The term ''sakana'' traditionally refers to food served with sake, and originates from the words ''saka'' (sake) and ''na'' (side dish). Because dried fish and salted fish roe were popular choice for such dishes, over the years the term ''sakana'' also came to mean "fish."

Another word for "snack" in Japanese is .The Japanese noun ''tsumami'' meaning "something to nibble/eat with a drink", which is beautified by adding an honorific prefix ''o'' and becoming ''otsumami''.; this term usually applies to smaller dishes. Otsumami are generally simpler dishes suited for ''otoshi'' (お通し) or preparing and eating at home. Since ''otoshi'' are placed on the table as customers sit down, they are usually dishes that can be prepared ahead of time in large portions and served cold or at room temperature. This makes them attractive to housewives who wish to prepare a variety of sakana ahead of time.

Ate (あて) or ategau (あてがう), meaning accompaniment is also sometimes used to refer to foods that go well with alcohol.

Types of sakana

When drinking at home sakana can be more modest. A bachelor or someone living alone might open a can of mackerel ( sanma or saury) in miso or soy sauce or simply use a pre-packaged form of sakana like pickles or Japanese potato salad bought at a supermarket or convenience store. Certain sakana like kaki no tane are associated with bachelors or older men.

Listed below are some common ''sakana''.

* Yakitori - grilled skewers of chicken and chicken parts
* Kushiage - deep-fried skewers of meat or vegetables
* Sashimi - slices of raw fish
* Tsukemono - pickles
* Kimchi - spicy Korean cabbage

* ''Sakana'' especially popular with beer:
** Edamame - salted and boiled soybean pods
** ''Nankotsu'' (chicken cartilage) karaage
** Sausages

* ''Sakana'' especially popular with sake:
** '' Shiokara'' - fermented, salted squid innards etc.
** Roe
*** ''Uni'' - Sea urchin roe
*** ''Ikura'' - Red caviar (ikra)
*** '' Mentaiko'' - spicy pollock roe
*** '' Tarako'' - pollock roe
*** ''Sujiko'' - salted salmon roe

* Small snacks:
** '' Atarime'' / ''Ika Ichiya-boshi'' - Dried squid
** '' Ei-hire'' - dried skate
** Seaweed
** Cheese
** Peanuts or other types of nuts (almonds, mixed nuts, etc.)
** Potato chips or fried potato sticks
** '' Arare'' - crackers made primarily from rice flour with other ingredients
** '' Tatami iwashi'' - small dried sardines pressed into a cracker-like square form

Examples

File:Shin sanma shioyaki by ayustety in Morishita, Tokyo.jpg, Sanma grilled with salt
File:Hamachi Kama.jpg, Hamachi kama, tuna collar
File:Eihire - stingray meat - Japanese pub food - September 2014.jpg, Eihire, grilled stingray fin
File:Ika-yaki 001.jpg, Ikayaki, grilled squid
File:Shiokara_001.jpg, Shiokara, fermented squid innards
File:Umitake kasuzuke.jpg, Umitake kasuzuke, clam pickled in sake lees
File:Takowasa (6752008609).jpg, Takowasa, chopped octopus pickled in wasabi
File:Baked mentaiko by ayustety in Marunouchi, Tokyo.jpg, Grilled mentaiko
File:Cucumber and mentaiko dish at 鳥亭.jpg, Raw mentaiko with cucumber
File:Unagi kabayaki by Kossy@FINEDAYS in Akabane.jpg, Unagi kabayaki, grilled eel
File:Oden (25570126098).jpg, Oden

File:Edamame by jark.jpg, Edamame
File:Three kinds of miso paste and cucumber by Hyougushi in Akita.jpg, Cucumber with hatcho miso
File:Okra with umeboshi paste by ayustety in Tsukiji, Tokyo.jpg, Boiled okra with umeboshi paste
File:Potato salad.jpg, Japanese potato salad
File:鮨ハーベストのサラダ.jpg, Cabbage salad
File:Goma-ae salad.jpg, Goma-ae, spinach salad in sesame dressing
File:Yakitori 015.jpg, Tomato marinated in dashi
File:Kushiyaki- assorted kawa (chicken skin), yamaimo (sticky yam), shishito.jpg, Grilled kawa (chicken skin), yamaimo, shishito
File:Dengaku.jpg, Miso dengaku, miso grilled eggplant
File:Kushiyaki- ginkgo nuts.jpg, Roasted ginkgo nuts
File:Yakitori 016.jpg, Asazuke eggplant
File:酒とタバコ (3158962313).jpg, Bean sprout namul and pickled rakkyo
File:Takanaduke2.jpg, Takanazuke, pickled mustard greens
File:Bettarazuke.jpg, Bettarazuke, pickled daikon
File:Misozuke (Miso picles) of Daikon Radish and Cucumber.jpg, Miso pickled daikon and cucumber

File:Chicken karaage 003.jpg, Karaage
File:Yakitoriplate2011jan.jpg, Assorted yakitori
File:Misen Tebasaki 20191110.jpg, Tebasaki
File:Gyoza, Sakura Ramen, Montparnasse, Paris 001.jpg, Gyoza usually contain pork
File:コロッケ (2598213730).jpg, Korokke
File:Beef and potato stew in Japanese-style (6225795153).jpg, Nikujaga

File:Hiyayakko by a.koto.jpg, Hiyayakko
File:Agedashi tofu, fried tofu with broth.jpg, Agedashi tofu, fried tofu in dashi broth
File:鳥焼き居酒屋_(39394233682).jpg, Tamagoyaki

File:Instant chazuke by shibainu.jpg, Ochazuke, green tea over rice
File:小料理バルさくら 特製おにぎり.jpg, Onigiri
File:Yaki Onigiri or roasted rice ball and Takuan 2019-11-5 Tottori City.jpg, Yaki-onigiri
File:Fried noodle (24327702692).jpg, Yakisoba

File:Arare rice crackers-0415.jpg, Arare rice crackers
File:Tatami-iwashi.JPG, Tatami iwashi
File:Supermercado-japones078.jpg, Various otsumami sold at a supermarket
File:A can of Takara Lemon Chu-hi.PNG, Chu-hi can sold with otsumami attached on the top

In media

Sakana are an everyday part of Japan's drinking culture. Japanese variety shows, magazines, and newspapers frequently feature recipes for homemade sakana.

There are numerous food manga and anime that focus on depicting sakana, some notable examples are:

* Shin'ya Shokudō is a long running food manga about the sakana the owner of a diner that is only open from midnight to dawn makes for his eccentric patrons. It has been made into a live action drama. Unlike a standard izakaya, the owner will prepare any food a customer requests if he has the ingredients.

* Takunomi is a 4-panel manga and anime focused on drinking at home. Each episode features a different drink, but due to Japanese drinking culture, multiple sakana and otsumami are shown being paired with each drink as alcohol is rarely drunk without a food pairing.

* Wakakozake is a manga and anime focused on the pleasure the main character gets from pairing the perfect sakana with a drink.

See also

* ''Aahaan kap klaem'', Thai drinking food
* Izakaya
* Snack bar
* Japanese cuisine
* Tapas
* Meze
* Anju (food)

Notes

References

{{reflist

Japanese cuisine