Okizuke | Delicious Japanese Dish for Spring Weather

The term okizuke literally means a little steeped squid on the sea. It is rigid and cut into bite-sized pieces, then the dish is served raw. It is usually raw firefly squid that is marinated in sake and soy sauce. A plate of okizuke can complete your meal with rice, soup, vegetables, protein, and other side dishes. 

Squids are raised to a length of three inches. The squids are provided with special light-producing organs. The squids are found in the Toyama Bay in the central Japan Sea. firefly squids have also been deemed a delicacy in Japan.  

While it is always a great season for crops around the world, there are some typical foods that take Japanese restaurants, and kitchens by storm in spring. In new weather, it is always nice to try something you’re enjoying under the trees, cooking at home, or fitting out the specials board at your local restaurant at its best.

Also, read about California Fish Grill, Marco’s Pizza, Ga’at Recipe, and How To Make Peanut.

What is Okizuke Dish?

Okizuke is a part of Japanese seafood. The term literally means steeped squid on the sea. This food is a sign of the most high-range seafood in the world. Many high-range restaurants are serving this food in the seafood department. As it is a part of Japan, so they are selling it in the Japanese culture. 

It is Japanese seafood as well as cultural food. The product is cut into bite-sized pieces, then is served raw. Because of the unique recipe, this dish is hard to find. The soft chewy texture and the sweetness of the sake make the dish unique.   

Facts about Okizuke Dish:

• This is a common product in Japan.
• In Japan, Toyama Bay is the most famous place for firefly squids.
• When newly caught the squids, they are quickly frozen on board using the liquid nitrogen technology.
• While very fresh seafood is frozen at sea, that time the final product is quite fresh than others. 
• The quality squids are marinated in sugar, soy sauce, and a little bit of rice wine. 
• No need to cook just ready to eat after thawing. 
• Great for the starter. Often you can enjoy it with rice wine or beer. 
• This seafood offers protein, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12. 
• This is an easily-spoiled item. After receiving it, you must keep it in the freezer.  

Okizuke arrives in three tastes:-

The three types of steeped squid dishes can be used any way that you like most. They can make excellent cooking ingredients.  

1. Flavored with soy sauce:

The soy sauce and melted rice are flavored with salt during the dish’s processing and they are used in the frozen steeped squid. It is half deforested to maintain its freshness. With marinating sauce, the firefly squid has been bottled after being prepared. The sauce is an indication of better elements that nothing better than required is added. 

2. Saltiness:

Whenever it is time to try some salty taste but the dish is barely further. The average saltiness highlights the squid’s savory flavor. However, the perfect marinating mixture offers the dish its taste. If the saltiness is highlighted, the flavor turns out too salty. But if you try to diminish the salt, it fails which makes it special. This dish with perfect saltiness makes a great snack. 

3. Soy sauce and koji flavor:

The soy sauce and koji flavor make the dish also great. The flavor makes a one-time taste like soy sauce suffused with the casual scent of koji. The producers pitch the koji seeds into cooked rice and allow them to stir up. 

Different ways to eat okizuke:-

This is a portion of Japanese food. It is a symbol of the most high-end seafood in the world. Many high-end cafes are serving this food in the seafood section. As it is a part of Japan, so they are selling it in the Japanese culture. It is Japanese seafood as well as cultural food.

The most fascinating fact is that it is an alive fish and that’s why people eat this while it is alive. However, the fish do not move once when it is cut when it is alive during serving the dish. It is the best part to enjoy this octopus as a cultural food for the Japanese living overseas. 

1. Raw octopus:

It is a type of raw octopus. It is served after cutting into small pieces that are great to chew. The shape is quite good enough to eat easily. Its upper side is hard but the texture octopus is soft. It is just uncomplicated seafood that is living in the sea. It is hard to find good seafood but this one is available with a real taste of octopus.

However, many Japanese who are not living in that area can eat the dish but at a double price. As it is quite hard to find this fish, so the seller sells this food at a double price.  

2. Seafood:

The octopus became high-end food as this seafood is not easy to find. Many people have to go to a Jap[anese cafe to eat this food as they serve this octopus. The seafood is quite fine food. It takes a lot of care before eating this. Because of its fineness, seafood becomes a high-end food dish. 

Therefore, the most important thing to know is that the person does not have any allergies to seafood. It tastes well when it is alive and so, the seafood serves the customer when it is alive. 

3. Alive fish:

Cooking this fish as a business is a good point for those who love to go fishing. It can be good for those who are familiar with the texture as the texture is soft and has a lot of water in it. 

The octopus has long strips that are cut down into thin and small pieces so they will be easy to eat. This sauce also has some sauce as its simple wors ink is getting out of it. Having most of the sauce and the soft texture makes it tastiest. However, the spices are also added to the demand of customers. 

4. As A Cultural food:

Eating this food is a culture in North Japan. However, the season is also an essential part of the culture as the dish depends on it. Every culture adds some specific ways to show their dishes. You can have this dish every time of the year. But winter is the best time to eat this dish. 

The Okizuke dish is served in its entire way in every cafe in the world. The fish is cut into many small pieces and is served in a small round shape bowl maintaining the cultural way to the customers. The Japanese find this way easier to eat the dish and so, its serving style is the same all over the world. 

5. The texture of the product:

The unavailability makes this into high-range seafood. This is a good option for those who want to try some new dishes around the world. Many people add some flowery items to the dish, but the plain round shape is the actual fact of the dish. 

The cafe is making the dish in some ways to get the fresh octopus from the sea. Many people are familiar with the texture as it is cooked in the proper way and that could be good for them. Having most of the sauce makes the texture soft and tastiest.  

6. Fusion of taste:

It is easy to find in North Japan. Japanese have different kinds of octopus but that one has some good taste that is real. The fine outer layer of the seafood is not hard. It is so slippery, so people cut them into small pieces that will be easy to chew. Just to get to eat this dish, most people will reorder because of its fitness. 

Many people are unfamiliar with this dish but it is hard to find and so they are going for another seafood. But this would not affect the dish at all. However, many people are doing this job for the sake of money. 

Conclusion:

These octopuses are also high range because they are rare to find. This dish is mostly found in the areas of the countries. No matter what kinds of seafood it is they are mostly of a high range because it is hard to cook them and they are not easily available. We know that this fish is alive. Further, it is served they are still alive.  

Also read about Ga’at Recipe.

FAQs About Okizuke Dish:

Q. What is Okizuke?

It literally means steeped squid on the sea.  The squid is placed into a mix of soy sauce while it’s alive on a fishing boat.

Q. Is squid popular in Japan?

Squid is the most familiar seafood component in Japan. It is served in a variety of forms. 

Q. How many hearts do have a squid?

Squid have three hearts where one is a frequent heart and two hearts are branchial hearts.

Q. Is steeped squid an octopus?

Squids and octopuses both are head-footed animals. But they are dissimilar in their physical features, behavior, and habit. 

Q. Why do the Japanese eat the fish alive?

Japanese eats the fish alive for wonder volume and this way is a traditional culture in this country. 

Q. How many flavors are there in okizuke-dish?

This dish includes three flowers such as sou sauce, salty, and soy-koji flavors.