Article 013: What Simmering Liquid Binds
Article Summary
A circle of flavor begins with simmered kawahagi.
The fish's essence "changes residence" into the broth, passes into vegetables, becomes rice balls.
Humility in chopstick handling, a wife's shopping wisdom, "The Salt Road" as a path of devotion.
Everything concentrates into sound.
Both cooking and words deepen through being handed on.
Category
Cooking, Autumn
- I write one scene I've touched in daily life within Japanese food culture.
I hope you'll read with the calm feeling of gathering around embers.
1. Shopping and the Quick Return
My wife favors fish, I favor chicken.
When my wife shops, she isn't swayed by the steep price of season's first catch—she waits until prices settle, then picks fish with sharp freshness.
When I ask her for first-of-season saury, she replies without pause: "Wait a little and you can eat two larger ones."
That's her bracing approach to shopping.
And she arranges grilled or simmered dishes on the table according to the season.
Thinking of each other's health, I can't help being grateful for the daily shifts in menu and her thoughtfulness.
- Simmered kawahagi
- Cucumber and eggplant salad
- Soy-simmered beans
- Ham and cheese
2. Kawahagi and Chopstick Handling
Kawahagi is known in Japanese cuisine as ideal fish for practicing chopstick use.
In Japanese food culture, being able to use chopsticks forms the basis of eating.
Further, in my circles, eating fish skillfully seems to be valued.
In such circumstances, at dinner gatherings I sometimes become aware of glances toward me.
Why kawahagi suits chopstick practice:
- Few thick bones that cause difficulty
- Fine bones kept minimal, flesh separates cleanly (The separation has the straightforwardness of harvesting a fully ripened tomato)
- The belly portion is also easy to eat
Therefore, for me with poor chopstick skills, this fish is a truly grateful presence.
Moreover, when I encounter a large liver, I feel fortunate for that entire day.
I love that liver's particular texture and taste.
3. Handing On the Simmering Liquid
The point requiring attention when simmering fish is the length of cooking time.
If you simmer too long, the flavor held by the fish flesh will "change residence" into the simmering liquid.
The fish flesh after flavor has moved becomes somehow tasteless.
Like pudding with forgotten sugar.
- Simmered kawahagi
- Stir-fried vegetables
- Vinegared gागome kelp
In our house, when simmering fish in quantity, we add one device:
- We arrange fish in the pot
- We pour in broth brought to boil afterward
- We adjust simmering time according to pot size and fish quantity
With this method, we can finish delicious simmered fish while firmly keeping umami in the flesh.
My wife never wastes the simmering liquid rich with fish umami.
She hands on this simmering liquid to simmered taro or butterbur.
By doing so, fish umami also moves to vegetables, creating deeper flavor.
This simmered dish seems to match well with firmly gripped "rice balls."
When you chew well together with rice, it becomes a feast where you can enjoy fish umami and vegetable texture.
- Simmered kawahagi
- Vegetable tempura
- Oil-fried spinach
4. Vegetable Tempura and Salt
Tempura dipping sauce is good, but this time we ate by sprinkling natural salt in a scatter to enjoy vegetables' original taste.
This time's lineup: carrot, green beans, eggplant.
While we savor freshly fried, we also make extra and enjoy it the next day's lunch as "vegetable tempura rice bowl."
Making tempura continuously is considerable trouble, so this too is my wife's device.
5. Salt and the Path of Devotion
About the natural salt used in this tempura, I'll introduce one book.
Tsuneichi Miyamoto, "The Salt Road (Shio no Michi)," Kodansha Academic Library
This book writes about the pressing thoughts toward salt in Japan's mountain regions and the handling of preserved foods.
And I gained basic knowledge about the harshness of living conditions then and salt intake amounts.
What left an especially strong impression on me was the scene of field camps during transport using cattle and horses.
First, I was surprised by the methods of nighttime crisis management.
In that conduct, I felt strong devotion to surely delivering precious salt.
And I received "The Salt Road" as "The Path of Devotion."
In the book's latter half, perspectives unique to Japan are written.
Even for people of Western cultural spheres, it may be filled with new discoveries for deeply knowing Japanese living culture.
There it touches on basic designs of living and the handling of farm implements and tools.
Further, living culture such as "sitting" is treated in detail.
Through these, it seemed to me that readers can know the deep interior of Japanese people that cannot be glimpsed through surface observation alone.
6. This Time's Summary
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「てしおなる とおきやまみて むすびはむ」
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[Téchio narou Tôki yamamité Moussoubi hamou]
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Thé, Si, Eau, Narre, Tôt, Qui, Yam, Mis, Thé, Muse, Bis, Ah, Mu.
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「しおたづな さんとましまし ななとなり」
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[Chio tadzouna sanneto machimachi nana tonari]
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Si, Eau, Ta, Dus, Na, Saint, Taux, Ma, Si, Ma, Si, Na, Na, Tôt, Narre, Hi.
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La clé et la bougie, Paravent se regarde, Encre et gorge.
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References
For references, please use the link below.
The reference consulted this time is 料 01.
Audio data (sound): 2025_013_ja01 (in progress)
Audio data (reading): 2025_013_ja02 (in progress)
Microsoft Clipchamp: Brigitte, VOICEVOX: 四国めたん
Article End
- I hope to deliver small discoveries and nostalgia to your dining table.