Mixed, Sauced and Tossed Foods

The Japanese eat an exciting variety of mixed, dressed and sauced foods. You’ll find some of them are uncooked seafood and fish dishes, and these are known as sashimi or “fresh slices.” Occasionally marinated, more often not, sashimi is served with aromatic and decorative garnishes and soy sauce for dipping. Whether cooked or uncooked, the dishes in this section make delectable appetizers, side dishes and salads to serve with either a Western or Japanese meal.

I’ve started with a recipe for a basic sweet and sour sauce used in most su no mono (“vinegared things”) and several tart and refreshing vegetable, fruit and seafood salads follow that. Then come the aé mono (“mixed things”) and sashimi, in which vegetables and seafood, both cooked and raw, are combined with some very interesting salad dressings and dips. Sesame seeds, walnuts and soybeans in several guises play a major role in seasoning. Finally, an kaké (“thickly sauced” foods) are represented by two vegetable and meat combinations and a classic raw tuna and potato dish.