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sakana

{{short description|Japanese snacks, eaten with alcohol}}

{{Italic title|reason=:Category:Japanese words and phrases}}

File:Tokkuri sake and takowasa.JPG

In Japan, it is customary to serve alcoholic drinks with snacks called {{nihongo|sakana|肴}}, {{nihongo|shukō|酒肴}}, or {{nihongo|otsumami|お摘み}}. 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.{{cite web|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/japanese-food-biggest-eating-mistakes-diners-chefs-wasabi-soy-sauce-sushi-ramen-matcha-rolls-bao-bun-a7971921.html | title = The Biggest Mistakes When Eating Japanese Food, According to Top Chefs |author = Kashmira Gander | work = The Independent |publisher = Independent| access-date = 2021-01-17 }}

Sakana are served in drinking establishments known as izakaya. When first seated in an izakaya, an otōshi (お通し) or appetizer is placed on the table before any drinks are ordered. The otōshi is charged to the customer as a type of cover charge. 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,{{cite web|url = http://www.dbj.jp/pdf/investigate/etc/pdf/book1309_02.pdf | title = 清酒業界の現状と成長戦略 - 「國酒」の未来| trans-title = Status of Sake Breweries and Growth Strategy for the Industry - Future for the "National Beverage" |author = Regional Project Department |publisher = Development Bank of Japan Inc.| page = 9| access-date = 2016-03-08 }} 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, and gyoza in modern izakaya. Some of the most common sakana are actually yōshoku, including potato salad, korokke and other deep-fried foods.

Etymology

File:Tokyoyumeyatai Gaku, Shibuya (4327655609).jpg menu with sakana listed on tags on the wall]]

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 {{nihongo|otsumami|お摘み}}.The Japanese noun tsumami meaning "something to nibble/eat with a drink", which is beautified by adding an honorific prefix o and becoming otsumami.;{{cite encyclopedia |chapter-url=http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/おつまみ |entry=おつまみ |title=Kenkyusha's New College Japanese-English Dictionary |editor1=Martin Collick |editor2=David P.Dutcher |editor3=Tanabe Munekazu |editor4=Kaneko Minoru |isbn=978-4-7674-2058-5 |edition=5 |year=2002 }} 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.

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

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

Notes

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References

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Category:Japanese cuisine

Category:Drinking culture