Japan is an island country blessed with the riches of its many rivers and the sea that surrounds it on all sides. Warm and cold ocean currents flow along the coast of Japan and lots of fish can be captured where both currents meet. It is said that the kinds of fish reach up to 2000. Fish and seafood have been key parts of the Japanese diet since ancient times. Viewing the fact that lots of kinds of fishbones were discovered at the Sannai Maruyama Remains in Aomori Prefecture, the Japanese are thought to have been eating fish and seafood since at least more than 4000 years ago.
The techniques of processing fish and seafood developed and preserved food was made using salt and rice malt. This lead people in mountainous region to be able to eat the products from the sea. Additionally, in the Edo period, sushi became popular among ordinary people, which has developed into the primary Japanese cuisine culture.
According to the FAO's statistics, the yearly average consumption of fish and seafood in Japan is 70kg per person. It is 4 times more than the average of the world. The interest of the Japanese in fish is strong, and lots of people enjoy fishing and having ornamental fish. There are more than 100 aquariums across the country. Over the centuries, various specialized fishing techniques have been developed. I'll show you the everyday Japanese dinner table.
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The traditional pole-and-line method is used for catching the ocean fish katsuo skipjack. The fishermen wield their rods so deftly that the fish are caught in the blink of an eye. It's a centuries-old method of fishing that avoids causing any damage to the fish.
Cast nets are used to catch the freshwater ayu, sweetfish. Sweetfish are very sensitive, so first the current must be dammed with branches to prevent them from escaping. Then the fisherman must stand quietly in wait until a shoal of sweetfish arrives. As soon as the shoal arrives at the dam and wheels around, he casts the net with split-second timing. If the timing is not perfect, the fish will scatter and few will be caught in the net. It takes long years of experience for a fisherman to learn to judge the precise timing for casting his net.
Fishing techniques have been developed to suit each region and the kind of target fish. There are also various different ways to prepare and cook fish. You can enjoy distinctive seasonal fish and seafood delicacies such as sushi, tempura and hotpots.
Early summer is the season for katsuo skipjack. One of the classic ways to prepare the skipjack is a technique known as tataki. Fillets are lightly seared over a fire made from rice straw. The sliced fish is dipped in a soy-based sauce seasoned with spices.
Midsummer is the season for unagi, freshwater eel. The most common unagi dish is kabayaki. The unagi flesh is basted with a sweet savory soy sauce and broiled; its delectable aroma and melting texture are irresistible.
Autumn is the season fro sanma, Pacific saury. One of the most popular broiled fish dishes is sanma-no-shioyaki, sanma just rubbed with salt and broiled whole. It's usually served with grated daikon radish, soy sauce and a citrus juice.
There are plenty of excellent seafood dishes in winter too, especially snow crab hotpot and sashimi. In most areas, the crab-catching season opens in November. The crab's firm flesh and subtle flavor make them the ultimate delicacy of winter.
A rich variety of fish and seafood is available all year round.
(Vocabulary)
preserved food 保存食品
rice malt 麹
ornamental 観賞用の, 装飾用の
lead sb to do sth 人に～させる
riches 《複数扱い》(特に文) 富, 財産; 豊富さ
pole-and-line method 一本釣り
skipjack (skipjack tunaとも) カツオ(魚)
wield 〈武器・道具〉を手にする, 持つ; 〈権力など〉を持つ, 握っている
deftly 器用に, 巧みに, 手際よく
cast net 投網
freshwater -- saltwater
sweetfish アユ
sensitive 警戒心の強い
lie in wait (for sb/sth) ～を待ち伏せている、（いやなことが）～を待ち受けている
shoal = school 魚の一群
wheel wi:l 反対側に急に向きを変える
wheel around 後ろを向く、振り返る
split-second [形]《[名]の前でのみ》 瞬時の, 一瞬の
split second [名] 《常に単数形で》 ほんの一瞬
delicacy [C] ごちそう, 珍味/ [U] 慎重さ, 繊細さ, 細やかな心遣い
distinctive 独特の、個性豊かな
distinct 別個の、はっきりした
Japanese traditional nursery songs have distinctive melodies. 独特の旋律がある。
Japan has four distinct seasons. 四季がはっきりしています。
sear [他] …を焦がす, 焼く/ [他] (強火で) 〈肉など〉 をさっと焼く
baste〈肉〉を焼き汁をかけながら焼く
delectable〈料理などが〉 おいしい, 美味な, 〈においなどが〉 おいしそうな
texture 触感, 手触り; 食感, 質感, テクスチャー
Pacific saury サンマ
rub sth with sth ＜…＞に＜…＞を塗る［擦り込む］
Rub the fish with salt. 魚に塩を擦り込みます．
snow crab ズワイガニ
firm 身の引き締まった
subtle 繊細な
(和訳)
日本は四方を海に囲まれた水の豊かな島国です。日本の近海には暖流(黒潮)と韓流(親潮)が流れ込み、さらにその２つがぶつかるエリアがあるので、２０００種類もの魚が獲れると言われています。太古の昔から日本人は魚介類を主な食料にしてきました。青森県三内丸山遺跡から多種の魚の骨が見つかっていることから、日本人は４０００年以上前から魚を食べてきたことがわかります。
魚の加工技術が発達し、塩や麹を使った魚の保存食が作られ、山間に住む人々も魚介類を食べられるようになりました。江戸時代にはにぎり寿司が登場。日本を代表する食文化に育っていくのです。
ＦＡＯによると、日本人の魚介類の消費量は一人あたり年間約７０キロ。世界平均の４倍以上に当たります。また、日本人の魚に対する関心は深く、多くの人が釣りや観賞用の魚の飼育を楽しみ、全国には１００以上の水族館があるとも言われます。そして長い時をかけて、様々な漁の方法が発達してきました。現代の日本人の食卓を紹介しましょう。
こちらはカツオの一本釣りです。釣り竿一本で一匹のカツオを豪快に釣り上げます。この漁は、魚に傷をつけずに釣ることができる伝統的な方法です。
こちらはアユを捕まえるための投網を使った漁です。逃げられないように川の流れをせき止め、群れが来るまで気配を消してじっと待ちます。アユの群れが泳いでくる一瞬のタイミングを計って投網を打ちます。このタイミングが合わないとアユは散ってしまい、うまく網にかかりません。長年の経験で、魚との間合いをうまく計るのです。
川でも海でも、その地域や魚の種類に合わせた漁法が編み出されてきたのです。魚の料理法も様々です。すし、天ぷら、煮物・鍋料理など、四季折々の個性豊かな魚料理が楽しめます。
初夏は、カツオの季節です。カツオの伝統的な料理法の一つ、たたき。節に切ったカツオの表面だけを、藁を燃やした火であぶります。薬味の入ったタレにつけていただきます。
夏。７月下旬に食べるのがうなぎです。ウナギは甘いタレをつけて焼く蒲焼きが一般的です。焼き上げられた身は香ばしく独特の食感。
秋の定番はサンマです。サンマの塩焼きは焼き魚の中でも広く親しまれている人気のメニュー。大根おろしと醤油、あるいはスダチなどの果汁をかけて食べます。
冬も海の幸は豊富です。１１月に漁が解禁となるズワイガニ。鍋や刺身などでいただきます。引き締まった身が繊細な味わいです。冬の風物詩の一つです。
一年を通じて魚介料理は日本人の食卓を賑わせています。
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