Japanese Food Himono 干物

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Himono (干物, lit. "dried things") is the Japanese term for dried fish.


Himono is dried fish and shellfish meat. Hinomono (乾製品) is also used for "dried products", but for foods other than seafood. Dried shellfish has been found in Jomon pottery in Japan, suggesting that dried shellfish was made about 4,000 years ago. Traces of shell mounds found in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture (Hirai Inariyama shell mounds, late Jomon period) also indicate that dried fish was made during the Jomon period. In the Shosoin archives (正倉院文書) from the Nara period , dried fish such as 'kitahi' (きたひ), 'suwayari' (すわやり) and 'ahetsukuri' (あへつくり) have been described:

・Kitahi - Whole dried small fish such as sardines
・Suwayari - Dried salmon and trout cut into small pieces
・Ahetsukuri - Fish gutted and dried

During the Nara period, dried fish was considered a gift to the Imperial Court. Around the Edo period , it became more common among the general populace.
 
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