Sakana

menu with sakana listed on tags on the wall The term sakana traditionally refers to food served with sake, and originates from the words and . Because dried fish and salted fish roe were popular choice for such dishes, over the years the primary meaning of sakana became fish of any kind. The two meanings are distinguished in writing as and . Another word for "snack" in Japanese is . The Japanese noun tsumami means "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 otōshi (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. Some common sakana are: • Yakitori - grilled skewers of chicken and chicken parts • Kushiage - deep-fried skewers of meat or vegetables • Sashimi - slices of raw fish • Tsukemono - pickles • 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 • 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 (such as almonds or mixed nuts) • 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 • Ume suishō - Ume suishō is a Japanese delicacy made by finely chopping shark cartilage and mixing it with pickled plum paste. ==Examples==

File:Shin sanma shioyaki by ayustety in Morishita, Tokyo.jpg|Sanma grilled with salt File:Hamachi Kama.jpg|Hamachi kama, yellowtail 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:Ume suisho Japanese appetizer.jpg|Finely chopped shark cartilage dressed with pickled plum paste. 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 four-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==