Not sardines at all. This little tin from Japan, ordered carelessly via Amazon, actually offers chirimen, whitebait fry, which one ordinarily bumps into dried, a sort of crunchy topping, in Japan. Here the tiny fellas are swimming in extremely neutral cottonseed oil, with basil and black pepper promised but undetectable.
If you’ve ever had baby eels from a tin, these are a fishier alternative. If you’ve ever had surimi fake baby eels, these have slightly more body—still almost zero—but are otherwise quite similar. You’re gonna want to supplement with veggies, pickled or something, or other additions, because these chirimen didn’t live long enough to pack on any big flavor punches.
Google Translate is fun and can sometimes be helpful. It can also, though, be a hindrance. If I’d spotted these on a physical store shelf and had Google advise that I was looking at a “pile crepe,” I expect I would’ve left it in the store. Then again, I’d’ve missed the news that this tin was a major award winner, so you takes your chances in this life.
I don’t love extra plastic, and yet I do kinda appreciate the little lid many Japanese producers pack in with the can, so you can tidily close it up and make it less likely your grumbly colleagues, whose olfactory patience has already worn super thin, will have further grounds for HR complaints. “Hostile workplace” seems a bit over-dramatic, right?
by DreweyD
1 Comment
I’ve only ever had the dried version, which is more like a condiment. Was it pretty salty, like it was meant to eat with plain tofu?