Otsumami: Japanese small bites & appetizers: Over 70 recipes to enjoy with drinks

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If you're in Japan, the best option I recommend is "spring cabbage (春キャベツ)," harvested during springtime. When I lived in the UK I used to use a type called "Sweeheart cabbage" (also known as pointed / hispi cabbage or sugarloaf). Other ingredient ideas to customize the flavour What makes something "yamitsuki" varies for each person, but they all share the ability to bring joy and satisfaction, making people want to enjoy them over and over again. What is an Izakaya (居酒屋)?

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. Himono are dried fish dishes and can usually be found at izakaya that specialize in seafood. Some common choices include shredded dried squid, dried fish, and “eihire” (dried manta ray) which is eaten with mayonnaise. NimonoThe gelatinous part from the spine of the tuna is simmered in cubes and served with flavorful Japanese mustard from Kyoto. Despite its small size, it holds a significant impact.

Homemade monkfish liver and slices of small melon marinated for two months are wrapped together in nori seaweed, served with the dark red vinegar rice. I mentioned that this yamitsuki cabbage is typically an izakaya dish, but you might be wondering what an "izakaya" is exactly. Izakaya is a traditional Japanese casual eatery that serves a wide variety of Japanese cuisine (tapas style) along with drinks and alcoholic beverages, making them great spots to hang out with friends or unwind after work. You can simply think of them as Japanese tapas bars or pubs.You can’t go wrong with sake. Fruity and delicate styles like daiginjo worked really well. But my favorite was a full-bodied and savory junmai genshu. Chawanmushi with snow crab and Hokkaido uni Joseph Weaver Talk about the 24-seat Chef's Stage experience — it's so unique that the chef not only prepares each bite for you, and literally hands it to you, but also that the fish itself is so fresh no soy sauce is even offered. Many beer styles will work too. In general, I recommend a beer that is malty and relatively rich. Brown ale, amber ale, ESB, porter, and Marzen can all work. Food-friendly Saison also comes to mind. And if you can find it, Iwate Kura Sansho Ale is worth a try. Cabbage types can differ based on where you live, but for this no-cook dish, I recommend using soft, green cabbage that is suitable to use raw instead of white, red, or napa cabbage. Gyoza originates from China, but Japan has truly made it a popular Otsumami. They are dumplings with pork, tofu and vegetable filling which is steamed or fried. Gyoza is a step above dumplings because the wrapper is thinner, so it is crunchy when fried. It tastes heavenly with beer and some restaurants only specialize in making Gyoza. Another way to take Gyoza is by dipping it in a ponzu sauce that has a strong flavor. It's definitely worth tasting. If you want to cook gyoza yourself, you can take a look of this easy Japanese gyoza recipe.