Smoky Spinach Bundles

In Japan spinach is flat-leafed, not curly, and is never used raw in salads. Instead it is ever so briefly blanched, then dressed in a variety of sauces. The recipe here, called ohitashi, is for blanched spinach bundles, marinated in a seasoned smoky stock. The garnish, which looks a bit like brown sugar dusted on the top, is made from smoky fish flakes and sesame seeds.