F L AV O U R S
Shinmai (new rice) Best eaten: Cooked with chestnuts or mushrooms Rice plays an important role in Japanese society and embodies the essence of its culture. The word “gohan” not only refers to cooked rice, but also to a meal. The first harvest of rice in autumn, called “shinmai”, is considered special and has a completely different taste compared with older rice. Softer and sweeter, new rice is processed and sold in the same year it is harvested. After December, it loses its “new” status and is no longer sold. Have a bowl of the naturally sweet rice with chestnuts or matsutake mushrooms while they are in season at the same time for a truly autumnal delight.
SEA
Sanma (Pacific saury) Best eaten: Grilled with salt Sanma is most delicious and fatty in autumn. Due to that and how the silver-skinned fish looks like a knife, its name in kanji means “autumn knife fish”. With a taste not unlike herring or sardine, sanma is usually grilled with salt until the skin browns and blisters. It is enjoyed whole, with fans relishing the bitter taste of its guts. The most popular way to feast on this fish is to start with the crispy skin, then squirt some lemon juice on the flesh and have it with daikon (Japanese radish) and soya sauce. Together with shinmai (new rice) and miso soup, it makes for the quintessential autumn meal.
Shinmai is softer and sweeter than ordinary rice
Saba (mackerel) Best eaten: Stewed in miso Like the sanma, saba is in its prime when caught in autumn as it has plumped up for the colder weather and its flesh is silky smooth and luscious. The freshest catch can be eaten raw. But as the fish goes bad quickly, it is also frequently pickled, cured, braised or grilled with salt. One favourite home-style dish is saba misoni — saba stewed in miso — which makes for a warm, comforting meal as the weather turns crisp.
Sanma is also known as the “autumn knife fish”, as it resembles a knife and is best in autumn
Saba can be eaten raw, but is also frequently pickled, cured, braised or grilled with salt
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OISHII