few days, then rinsed, air-dried, and cold-
smoked for anywhere from five to 36 hours,
with the temperature rising from 85º to
100ºF/30º to 40ºC toward the end to bring
some glossy oil to the surface.
Four-Way Preservation: Japanese Katsuobushi
The most remarkable preserved fish is
katsuobushi, a cornerstone of Japanese
cooking, which dates from around 1700 and is
made most often from one fish, the skip-jack
tuna Katsuwonus pelamis. The fish’s
musculature is cut away from the body in
several pieces, which are gently boiled in salt
water for about an hour, and their skin
removed. Next, they undergo a routine of
daily hot-smoking above a hardwood fire until
they have fully hardened. This stage lasts 10
to 20 days. Then the pieces are inoculated
with one or more of several different molds
(species of Aspergillus, Eurotium,