Japan is famous for its otsumami, meaning
‘the nibbles you have while drinking’, which
come in many forms: hot or cold, raw or
cooked, meat, fi sh or plant-based, with
diff erent varieties found across the country.
While Osaka’s Dotonbori district is the
place to seek out takoyaki octopus balls and
okonomiyaki pancakes, the city of Fukuoka,
on Kyushu, my native island, is the home of
yakitori (skewered chicken) and yatai (street
food stalls) serving an array of other snacks.
Japan’s third-largest island, Kyushu, is
known as ‘food island’, thanks to its abundant
produce. Kyushu has fertile soil and a
climate that’s just right for growing fruit and
vegetables. It’s also known for its excellent
seafood. Seasonality is at the core of Japanese
cuisine and food culture, too. We even have a
specifi c word, ‘shun’, which describes the exact
moment when a vegetable is at its best, a fruit
at its sweetest or a fi sh at its most fl avourful.
In springtime across Japan, we’ll eat plenty
of vegetables like caulifl ower and watercress
and lots of delicious seafood like sake-steamed
clams. It’s also the time of year when we
celebrate hanami — the act of viewing the
cherry blossom — which is all about meeting
friends, eating bento and having a few drinks.
Summer in Japan is hot and humid, so we
gorge on thirst-quenching vegetables like
cucumber, edamame beans or tomatoes. Cold
or chilled dishes like cold noodle soup are
popular for helping people beat the heat, too.
It’s matsuri (festivals) season, too, where yatai
stalls serve seasonal specialities.
Autumn is the season of hearty appetites
— there’s a feast of riches from the land, such
as mushrooms and aubergine, but also from
the sea (mackerel and salmon) and the sky
(duck). Winters are cold, so we rely on hardy
vegetables like potatoes and cabbages to
keep us nourished, along with onions and
garlic, which are said to heat our bodies,
not to mention crabs and oysters, in season
throughout the winter.
This is an edited extract from Otsumami, by
Atsuko Ikeda, published by Ryland Peters &
Small, £20.
M U S T -T R Y D I S H E S
Essential ingredient
Yuzu kosho is a paste
made of fresh yuzu
zest, green chillies
and salt. It gives
dishes a lift and a
slight heat; it goes
particularly well
with grilled chicken,
hotpot and sashimi.
Above: Chicken nanban, a Western-
inspired dish of fried chicken served
with tartare sauce
CHAMPON
Tonkotsu ramen is Kyushu’s
culinary calling card, but champon
is also not to be missed. Famous
in Nagasaki, this flavourful noodle
dish is topped with various fried
ingredients, such as pork belly,
seafood and vegetables.
CHICKEN NANBAN
A classic example of what we call
‘yoshoku’, or Western-influenced
cuisine, this completely addictive
fried chicken is dipped in sweet
and sour sauce before being
topped with tartare sauce.
YOBUKO IKA
The town of Yobuko is known for
its fish market, particularly for
the ika — translucent squid — sold
there. Sweet and crunchy, it’s
best enjoyed sashimi-style, and
restaurants will usually cook the
tentacles as tempura afterwards.
A TA S T E O F
Kyushu
IMAGES:
GETTY
;^ A
TS
UKO
IKEDA
Atsuko Ikeda
is a chef and author
of Otsumami. She also
runs Atsuko’s Kitchen
cookery school
in London.
atsukoskitchen.com
THE JAPANESE ISLAND IS HOME TO FLAVOURSOME
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JUNE 2022 21
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