Shiokara



Shiokara (塩辛) is a food in Japanese cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of the animal's meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera. The raw viscera are mixed with about 10% salt, 30% malted rice, packed in a closed container, and fermented for up to a month. Shiokara is sold in glass or plastic containers.

The flavor is quite strong and is considered something of an acquired taste even for the native Japanese palate. The taste of shiokara lingers in the mouth. One method of enjoying it is to consume the serving at one gulp and to follow it with a shot of straight whisky. Some bars in Japan specialize in shiokara.

In Korean cuisine, Jeotgal (젓갈) or Jeot (젓) is similar to shiokara but ingredients and amounts of salt are differently used. A small amount of Jeotgal made from anchovies or shrimps is often used in the making of kimchi.

Some types of shiokara

 * Ika no shiokara &mdash; from cuttlefish "squid", the most common variety
 * Hotaruika no shiokara &mdash; from firefly squid
 * Katsuo no shiokara &mdash; from skipjack tuna
 * Kaki no shiokara &mdash; from oyster
 * Uni no shiokara &mdash; from sea urchin roe
 * Ami no shiokara &mdash; from shrimp

Some shiokara types have special names:
 * Ganzuke (がん漬) &mdash; from fiddler crab
 * Konowata (このわた, 海鼠腸) &mdash; from sea cucumber
 * Mefun (めふん) &mdash; from chum salmon (shake)

Shiokara 塩辛