Satsuma age
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Satsuma age (薩摩揚げ) is a fried fishcake from Kagoshima, Japan. Surimi and flour is mixed to make a compact paste that is solidified through frying. It is a specialty of the Satsuma region. It is known as chikiagi in Okinawa.
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[edit] Outline
It is a paste made from fish and seasoned with salt, sugar, and other spices and molded into several shapes. It is made not only from ground fish but added 木耳 (the tree ear), Beni shōga, onion, welsh onion and other vegetables, squid, octopus, shrimp and other sea foods, and some spices.
In fishing villages, it is made from various local fishes, for example sardines, shark, bonito, mackerel, etc. In most cases it is made by mixing two or more kinds of fish.
People eat it plain or lightly roasted and dipped in ginger and soy sauce or mustard and soy sauce. It is used in oden, udon, sara udon or Nimono (stewed dishes).
[edit] History
There are varied histories of Satsuma age, but the most famous birthplace is the Satsuma district in Kagoshima.[1] It is said that, in about 1864, the Shimazu clan brought it to Satsuma from Okinawa through some exchange and invasion.[2] In those days, Okinawans called fried-boiled fish paste chigiage. After it was brought to Kagoshima, it was produced as tsukiage and selected as one of the best 100 local dishes.
[edit] The name
Kagoshima is known as the origin place in Tohoku and Kanto region, so it called "Satsuma age".
Chubu region people call it "Hanpen", Hokkaido and west Japan people call it "Tempura". The name is very different and depends on the region.
[edit] Varieties
- Hiraten: flat satuma age
- Maruten: Satsuma age like a thin disk. People in Kyusyu, mainly Fukuoka, eat them with udon
- Gobouten: Satsuma age which wrapped around burdocks like sticks
- Ikaten: Satsuma age which wrapped around squid arms
- Takoten: Satsuma age which wrapped around cut octopus. There is a kind of ball shape like takoyaki.
- Tamanegiten: with onion.[1]
- Bomb: Satsuma age which wrapped around a boiled egg
- Honeku, Honeten (These are short version of Honekuri-tempura): This is a local dish in North area of Wakayama. Cutlass fish locally-caught are ground bones and all, and fried. They have a unique smell.
[edit] Varieties in other countries
- Gansu (local dish in Hiroshima) is a fry made of breaded ground whitefish and a kind of cutlet.
- It is called Totoman (ทอดมัน) in Thailand, and made from ground fish is called Totoman・pura (ทอดมันปลา), ground shrimp is called totoman・kun (กุ้งทอด).
- There are some similar foods in Vietnam.
- In Korea and Taiwan, former Japanese colonies, Satsuma age is sold under other names at retails, skewer paste is sold as Oden, but Satsuma age cut in small pieces are also called Oden and served at restaurants. Tempura sold at Taiwan retails is mainly Satsuma age.
[edit] References
- ^ 【Kagoshima Prefecture Ichiki Kushikino City】 Sightseeing・Speciality：Speciality(Japanese)
- ^ tsukeage Kagoshima Discovering Culture (Kagoshima Regional Information Web - Living Eye 8, November 2003)(Japanese)
[edit] External links
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