This Is Japan
Explore everyday life in Japan
If you have ever never been to Japan, you might not know this, but Japan has a very strong culture built up around drinking alcohol.
From something called a Nomihodai (A limited time all you can drink option that most restaurants and izakaya offer.) to Ukon(turmeric infusions that many people drink in an attempt to ward off hangovers) to the practice of not pouring one’s own drink and the habit of ending a long night of heavy drinking with a bowl of hot, oily ramen noodles, there are many unique aspects of drinking in Japan. Today I want to talk about one aspect known as Otsumami.
Otsumami is one of many words used to describe a variety of foods that are served with alcohol in Japan. While Otsumami is a kind of Shukoo like Otooshi and Tsukidashi, what makes it different from these other two kinds of alcohol accompaniments is that Otsumami is generally a type of food or snack that is eaten with one’s hands. The very term derives from the verb tsumamu, which means to hold or pick up.
Go to any supermarket or convenience store in Japan and you will find an Otsumami section.
This section typically includes small packages of sliced cheese, smoky sausages, dried tangy strips of squid, small candied fish, and a variety of nuts and rice crackers usually priced between 100 and 200 yen. Have a drink at a friend’s house and chances are a bowl of edamame will be put on the table in front of you. Go out for a drink and you may find that it comes with a small plate of cured meats and cheeses, or slices of crisp daikon radish served with a side of miso-flavored mayonnaise. Depending on the kind of place you go and its quality, you may find a dish of macaroni salad served with your beer or a delicately flavored sashimi salad. Then again, you may just get a bowl of peanuts (the cost of which is included on your bill, of course).
While you may not be able to predict what you will be served with your first beer, cocktail, glass of wine, or carafe of sake in Japan, you can be sure that some kind of food will accompany your drink. And if that food happens to be something you can pick up with your hand and pop into your mouth, it is most likely thought of as Otsumami in Japanese.
In your country, when you sit down to have a drink at home, or when you’re putting a few back with your friends, what do you like to snack on? Please feel free to leave a comment below, or better yet, enter next week’s Steemit Culinary Challenge, provided to you by @woman-on the-wing, and try to wow me, the judge, with your original Otsumami creations.
Bonus points will be provided for those who use local and/or seasonal ingredients and make Otsumami/alcohol pairings.
Please note that your Otsumami doesn’t have to be related to Japanese cuisine. It just needs to be a finger food that you would like to snack on while have a drink.
I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!
This is an ongoing series that will explore various aspects of daily life in Japan. My hope is that this series will not only reveal to its followers, image by image, what Japan looks like, but that it will also inform its followers about unique Japanese items and various cultural and societal practices. If you are interested in getting regular updates about life in Japan, please consider following me at @boxcarblue. If you have any questions about life in Japan, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best to answer all of your questions.
@boxcarblue otsumamis are yummy
though I used to just eat them with my Japanese students back in the Ph
since I don't really drink - I like Ika ten, Ika Kun and Sari Ika the most
but the thing is - I used to automatically ask for rice :D back then and they always give me, too ^ ^
The squid over here is great, isn't it? I have another friend who fell head over heals in love with the rice here and eats bowl after bowl of it when he goes out to eat. It's quite the spectacle.
I spent my teen years and a bit beyond in the south of Spain and got very fond of the tradition of "tapas" with whatever we were drinking... these were basically "small dishes" of something, not enough to be a course (or even an appetizer), but if you ate tapas all night it would basically add up to a meal... anything from olives, to cheeses, to small pieces of spicy sausage, to tiny squares of hard potato omelets and much more.
Interesting post, as always!
As always, thanks for your encouragement! I'm sorry it's taken me a while, but I finally got around to following you back. I didn't realize that I hadn't already.
Spending time in Spain sounds nice. I've never been there, but I hope to go someday. Japan's custom sounds to me like it is similar to Spanish tapas, but having never eaten real Spanish tapas, I can't say for sure.
I like to eat chips, fried corn or nuts!! I'll look for the SCC! :)
Fried corn sounds good in the summer with cold beer. Thanks for sharing! The SCC should be coming out within the next 24 hours. Please do keep an eye out for it.
SCC is already on the run, but these snacks are bought in packages :s They are really great with cold beer. We also have others, but I don't know how to translate it (yet).
Many of the snacks in Japan are packaged as well, but they could be made at home.
I have an idea for entering this competition!! I hope I'm able to prepare it tomorrow :)
I hope so too! Best of luck!
Outstanding post @boxcarblue! Your post is very interesting. I have enjoyed learning a little bit about Japan's relationship with alcohol and food.
I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for commenting. Japan has a very work-oriented culture, so, of course, letting off steam by having a drink is a bit of a past time, not to mention a customary way to celebrate just about everything:)
A fantastic informative and well-written post @boxcarblue! Thanks very much for agreeing to be guest judge for the Steemit Culinary Challenge, and next week we'll present to you only the finest otsumami known to man - Japanese or otherwise!!!
I can't wait!
And thank you for inviting me to be a guest judge. The invitation was a very nice surprise!
:-)
Nice post, interesting food!
Thanks! Japan is all about food. What do you eat when you drink?
Good question. In USA people often will eat nuts. I like olives and cheese. Pretzels go great with beer.
Olives + pretzels + beer = heaven! LOL
Pretzels do go good with beer. When I think of drinking in the States, I mostly think of just drinking and not really eating as I go. Of course, if I was playing cards or at a sports bar I would snack on pretzels, nuts, nachos, or wings, but for the most part, going to a bar, for me anyway, just meant drinking.
In the Philippines we call them pulutan.
Great pics that look so yummy! and well written. I had to follow for more!!!
I'm glad to hear it. I post pretty regularly, so please stop back. Thanks again for your Markdown tutorial.