Sometimes You Just Gotta Order Some Strange Stuff Online

Took an Amazon flyer here, some results of a search for “Japan Canned Seafood.” Well, that’s bonito in a ginger sauce in the cans, but on the right it’s Japanese smoked mackerel with aged garlic in a plastic wrapper. I shall report back.

What sold me on these? Well, canned bonito isn’t super common ‘round me. What’s bonito, you ask. It’s kinda sorta tuna, kinda maybe mackerel. It’s a whole thing in Japan, where the vast bulk of the nation’s annual catch ends up in dried flakes that, in turn, end up in most every dish and sauce. And the smoked mackerel is a super-common bar food—see the top of the package?—and it’s served here as a to-go snack: “Pre-cut fillets, toothpicks, and wet wipes included – perfect for on-the-go or entertaining.” Thanks, Japan.