Nice to meet you! It is the blog spreading Japanese features, How Unique Japan.
In this section, I would like to introduce Japanese preserved foods. It is dry food.
On the front page, I have already talked about the humidity level in Japan. It is high enough to make any food rotten except in the Winter (dry) season. Besides, Japan’s leading food industry was agriculture and fishing. Therefore, improvement in food protection by drying was inevitable.
That method was effective. We Japanese successfully kept food, crops, leafy vegetables, and even fish meat edible for several months.
Let’s see how the invention of preserved (dry) food worked in the old era.
The history of dry food in Japan
Preserved (dry) food in Japan has an ancient/long history you might have imagined. Indeed, the pot from a ruin 4000 years ago showed pieces of dry food. They were shells and fish. So, ancient Japanese have already established the skill of food drying.
The method was not only for preservation, but it became a gift for loyalty or nobility occasionally due to its capability of stock.
In the Edo era (It’s from 1603 to 1868), that habit became more official. Thus, some dry foods worked as presents (featured products in each prefecture) to the government of Edo.
(If you want to know about the Edo era more, click here!)
However, dry food was also popular with the public. That is why there are various dry foods around Japan.
Let’s see some famous foods and methods to make them below.
Popular dry food (ingredients)
Hoshi Shiitake (Mushroom)
Around 16 Ac, in the middle of the Edo era, the mushroom became basic food around the public. But it has a long history. Do you remember the pot discovered from the ruin 4000th years ago? That also had some pieces of mushroom too. The food has been close to us, Japanese.
Surprisingly, it takes only (about) one or two weeks after the germination from the tree.
The method to make it dry is simple. First, cut the mushroom pebbles away, then leave them where they get proper sunshine and wind for five to ten days. It is until the water percentage inside the Shiitake goes under 10%. It will remain edible for one year. Amazing.
Japanese usually use them as one ingredient in soup and soup stock because the dried mushroom contains a high level of Umami.
It is not yet. Interestingly, nutritional value is better than raw. It has a lot of vitamin D and works for high blood pressure.
Kiriboshi Daikon (sliced and dried white radish)
It also became popular around the Edo era, even the way to dry it. Thus, it can remain edible longer than a raw one. However, we should avoid much sun shining to keep it edible.
As you see, it is sliced and dried. We can eat it after soaking it in water or use it as an ingredient for Stir-fried food.
The nutritional value is good. It has vitamins B1 and 2, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Indeed. It is a good dried vegetable for our health.
Azi no Himono (Dried horse mackerel)
When the Japanese get a question, what is the most famous dry food? They will imagine it as one. So, it is a popular dried fish food.
The technique of dry fish is ancient. Yes. As this article has already said, the pot from the ruin contained it. (over 4000 years ago)
However, the method is delicate and complicated. First, cut the fish’s stomach vertically, following its spine, then open it wide.
Next, take the internal organs away to preserve the meat, and then soak the left meat into the salted water (it has 10 to 15% salt). It takes one hour.
The final part is the same as the others. They will be under the sun shining for three to four hours till the meat gets half raw and not sticky.
It can remain edible for five days, much longer than un-dried.
The popular way to eat is burning. Nevertheless, some chefs use it with Pasta meals nowadays. So, the dried fish gradually works in various ways.
Its nutrition is incredible. It has DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapenteanoic acid). The previous acid works for brain health. EPA makes our blood smooth, and the pressure gets low.
It is not yet. The dried horse mackerel will get protein and lipid TWO TIMES HIGHER than the raw one.
To close
That is all for this article, Dry food in Japan. However, my blog has more unique information—Japanese lifestyle, the Edo era, and Japanese food.
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