Tales of Sake in Shiga Japan's Culture of Fermentation

Tales of Sake in Shiga Japan's Culture of Fermentation

Some say that Japanese airports once smelled like pickles. Of course, each country has its own unique smell, which is apparent as soon as you arrive at their airports. Belgium—a country known for its delightful cuisine—for example, has a vivid, distinctive smell of cheese. Japanese pickles, of course, aren’t something that foreigners get used to straight away. That said, once their charms have been discovered, they tend to become a firm favorite.

Due to the large numbers of funa, or crucian carp, in Lake Biwa, the people of Shiga developed a fermented dish known as funazushi. It is a unique dish that even Japanese people have a hard time with, but once hooked, it keeps you coming back for more. While fermented foods are certainly not unique to Japan, there are a number of reasons for their popularity in the country—one is that they can be preserved, while another is their high nutritional value. In Japan, fermented freshwater fish dishes are also known as narezushi. Around Lake Biwa, it is not only crucian carp that are fermented, but fish like Japanese minnows, such as oikawa and hasu, as well as sweetfish, carp, Biwa trout, and even eel.

These fish can also be simmered in soy sauce and sugar, showing just how diverse the preserved food culture in Japan is. Huge volumes of freshwater fish can be caught in the summer, and so these dishes are also known as doyozuke (doyo meaning ‘before summer’ in this case).

Sake is also a fermented product, and unlike spirits such as whisky or brandy, it is rich in amino acids and can be good for health when consumed in moderation. Japan’s National Cancer Center even suggests that a moderate amount of sake can help stave off cancer. Perhaps, then, fermented products are a symbol of Japanese culture.