When the heat rolls in, laziness comes in the form of "I don't want to cook." Maybe it's also an instinctual thing where I am unconsciously preparing for a fire or earthquake which is more likely to happen in the hot summer months by hoarding a bunch of canned
booty. Whatever the reason, I am always in search of canned food. And there's a whole world of canned food out there to discover. Living in Japan opened up a new set of possibilities for me in the canned food sector.
Wikipedia says this about
canned food:
The process was first developed as a French military discovery by Nicolas Appert. The packaging prevents microorganisms from entering and proliferating inside.
Very good. So canning is French and safe to eat. It's also very 2009, thanks to the recession, when there was an 11.5% increase in sales in the U.S.
The Japanese have perfected all types of preserving methods: freeze-drying, canning, pickling, etc. In fact, my beloved two types of food natto and miso are perfect examples of how the Japanese join deliciousness with spoil resistance.
I'd like to showcase some of my Japanese canned fish favorites. All three cans range in price from $1.69 to $2.29. I am not that creative and always eat my canned fish with fresh steamed rice, but I just can't think of anything more perfect.
From left to right:
Kakukawa Miso Mackerel (Saba), Nissui Miso Sardines (Iwashi Misoni), Nissui Soy Sauce
Pacific Saury (Sanma Ajitsuke)
Kakukawa Miso Mackerel
I love the packaging of this can. It's so retro and the image on the front actually looks pretty gross. Once freed from the confines of its steel cylinder, the fish and sauce contents plate nicely. I topped this with some shiso. I enjoyed this with a bowl of steaming rice, like I did with all the others. I liked the heartiness of this one - it was kind of addictive and reminiscent of
Rousong (pork, meat floss).
Nissui Soy Sauce Saury (Sanma Ajitsuke)
This one was probably my favorite out of all three. The sauce is described as "Soy Sauce" on the can, but it has a little tinge of sweetness - but not so much that it tastes like teriyaki sauce. This was perfect with shiso streamers and a pile of grated ginger. I will definitely be going back for more of this soon.
Nissui Miso Sardines (Iwashi Misoni)
Another type packed in miso sauce. This was also excellent. I topped this one with shiso and ginger as well. Although thinking back, the miso types might work better topped with green onions to cut the sweetness of the miso. This one was less porky and more fishy than the mackerel miso one.
Doing this taste challenge confirmed the importance of garnishing canned food. All three types look pretty unattractive straight out of the can, but with minimal TLC can look quite presentable. On top of pumping up the aesthetic quality of the dish, ginger seems to be a great addition to canned fish since it provides life and contrast, thanks to its tart spiciness.
When the heat rolls in, laziness comes in the form of "I don't want to cook." Maybe it's also an instinctual thing where I am unconsciously preparing for a fire or earthquake which is more likely to happen in the hot summer months by hoarding a bunch of canned booty. Whatever the reason, I am always in search of canned food. And there's a whole world of canned food out there to discover. Living in Japan opened up a new set of possibilities for me in the canned food sector.
Wikipedia says this about canned food:
Kakukawa Miso Mackerel
I love the packaging of this can. It's so retro and the image on the front actually looks pretty gross. Once freed from the confines of its steel cylinder, the fish and sauce contents plate nicely. I topped this with some shiso. I enjoyed this with a bowl of steaming rice, like I did with all the others. I liked the heartiness of this one - it was kind of addictive and reminiscent of Rousong (pork, meat floss).
Nissui Soy Sauce Saury (Sanma Ajitsuke)
This one was probably my favorite out of all three. The sauce is described as "Soy Sauce" on the can, but it has a little tinge of sweetness - but not so much that it tastes like teriyaki sauce. This was perfect with shiso streamers and a pile of grated ginger. I will definitely be going back for more of this soon.
Nissui Miso Sardines (Iwashi Misoni)
Another type packed in miso sauce. This was also excellent. I topped this one with shiso and ginger as well. Although thinking back, the miso types might work better topped with green onions to cut the sweetness of the miso. This one was less porky and more fishy than the mackerel miso one.
Doing this taste challenge confirmed the importance of garnishing canned food. All three types look pretty unattractive straight out of the can, but with minimal TLC can look quite presentable. On top of pumping up the aesthetic quality of the dish, ginger seems to be a great addition to canned fish since it provides life and contrast, thanks to its tart spiciness.
Comments (19)
I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t had food in 3 days, but all of them look so delicious. I’ve always liked canned sardines, but I’m guessing these are probably much better. Especially with the garnish. Did you get them at Tokyo Fish Market?
I have to say, I’m totally grossed out. For me, fish has to be fresh. How old might the fish inside the cans be, I wonder? Could it be several years old? Is there an age limit?
Do they have canned sushi in Japan as well?
Seri: Yeah, well canned sardines (American style) can be quite gnarly. Although I am sure some types from Europe could be pretty good. I had some DELICIOUS canned tuna from Italy at Kayoko’s the other day.
Anders: Oh I am totally janky like that and will eat canned tuna, salmon, etc. I, on the other hand, have an aversion to canned veggies. And I must admit, I don’t think I could go for canned pork, beef or chicken. Bottled and fermented tofu is A-OK for me though.
As for canned sushi or sashimi, I don’t think that would be possible. These canned fish are cooked before canned. I think it would not be possible to preserve anything raw (uncooked) in a can. Someone prove me wrong.
You guessed wrong Yoko! Did you know sushi popper? Probably this is as gross as it can get in terms of “canned” sushi..
http://www.sushipopper.com/
WOW these Sushi Poppers are SO NASTY-looking, that we’ve gotta order some and try it. It says it contains no raw ingredients, and instead, they have “flavors”. !!!
http://www.sushipopper.com/flavors.aspx
While you guys are busy ordering sushi in a can, you should also get some Canned Unicorn!
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/unicorn-meat.shtml
Yumzers!
These are both amazingly disgusting finds! Kayoko, I really dare you to order and eat these sushi poppers. Anders, thanks for the heads up on canned unicorn. I like how they are kind enough to say this “Not yet approved by the USDA or FDA.” At least they are honest.
Magic in every bite!!! “The Other White Meat”! OMGOMGOMG. AWESOME!!!!
Anders: YUMZERS, totally ok!
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