Comments on: Chinmi: How to Make Shiokara

By: Peko-P

Peko-P — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:03:02 +0000

Hello Mora, I guess you are more convinced than I am – but enjoy!

Hello gaga, Yeah, if you have the stuff that is light in taste, it isn’t too bad. The stuff Miwa made here is super potent, 4 squid worth of internals went into it. That is too much for me.

Hello Marc, We fermented it in the fridge, I think that it CANNOT be fermented at room temperature.

By: Marc @ NoRecipes

Marc @ NoRecipes — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:57:51 +0000

MMmmm I love shiokara it’s one of those things like natto I think, you either love it or hate it. I’m curious, do you ferment it at room temperature or in the fridge?

By: gaga

gaga — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:58:30 +0000

How interesting. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, but I’d still be willing to give this a try. It looks delicious…

By: Mora

Mora — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:35:37 +0000

I LOVE shiokara!!! There is nothing better than great shiokara, a bowl of perfectly cooked rice, and a superb dry sake served cold. Now THAT is one of my “last meals on earth” if ever there were one. Thank you for all of the photos and great detail in the explanation of how to make your own shiokara.

By: Peko-P

Peko-P — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:30:33 +0000

Hello Julie, Wow, you are a REAL salt lover, just like Miwa! Miwa is not much of a drinker either though. I like your advice, don't be afraid to try things in the Japanese food market. In more than 10 years of eating weird stuff in Japan, I have *maybe* gotten sick once. (I ate a raw egg and the next day had a fever. I have eaten a lot of raw eggs since and never had any trouble.) I am glad you liked this post, please come back to KyotoFoodie! Peko-P

By: Julie

Julie — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:41:30 +0000

OH MY GOODNESS….

I love Shiokara, my mother used to make it for me when I was a kid…. She used to joke that since I loved chinmi so much, I would probably end up a big drinker… she was wrong. I just like salt!

My last meal would be a big bowl of rice, shiokara and umeboshi, perhaps some mozuku too.

Im a simple kinda girl…

Thank you SO (x10000000) much for posting this.

Oh and for all you readers who ever see it at the Japanese market, dont be scared to try it. You may not like but you can always say you tried it. (p.s. if you dont like it – send it this way )

By: Peko-P

Peko-P — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:16:25 +0000

Hello Chris, Replaceable screen? Thank you for the heads up! I don’t think that I would have made the right choice.

Hello Momo, Shiokara isn’t top on my list of yummies in Japan, but I did think that this article shows what chinmi is all about — usually a part of a fish or shellfish fermented in its own guts with salt. Shiokara, often comes in a tiny bowl, like less than a teaspoonful at the beginning of a course meal, like kaiseki, and that is pretty good…

Hello Chingyo, Yes, jii-chan (older drinkin man) material (or perhaps, matériel) is right on the mark.

I am not really into it on rice (in larger servings), even washing when washing it down with lots of alcohol.

If you are a foodie and in Japan, I would say that you must try some chinmi. It is extreme eating but some of it is quite good. Karasumi, salt-cured mullet roe is much more accessible, it reminds me more of cheese than fish eggs. Much more expensive than shiokara though.

By: chingyo

chingyo — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:58:40 +0000

I was always wondering about this stuff…very classic jii-chan material. I would say this is more tolerable if you’re drinking hot shochu or sake with it…but by itself – ge! An acquired taste, I guess.

By: momo

momo — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:56:08 +0000

Wow! very very interesting – I’ve eaten a lot of Japanese food in my day but I have yet to try this! I remember my uncle mori talking about this… although I cannot really remember exactly what it was all about- I would definitely like to try this someday!

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:13:50 +0000

That wire screen thing is what the French call a tamis. You can buy one just like that at the place that sells hand-made wire cookware up north of Oike, between Karasuma and Kawaramachi. They were pretty inexpensive, I think, maybe about 5,000 yen. If you buy one, see if you can get one with a replaceable screen: the screens are very delicate, and if you ding one you don’t want to have to buy the whole thing over again.

By: How to Clean a Squid Japanese Style | Kyoto Foodie: Where and what to eat in Kyoto

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:52:02 +0000

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