1.
Fermented fish
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Fermented fish is a traditional preparation of fish. Before refrigeration, canning and other modern preservation techniques became available, Fish rapidly spoils, or goes rotten, unless some method is applied to stop the bacteria that produce the spoilage. Fermentation is a method which attacks the ability of microbials to spoil fish and it does this by making the fish muscle more acidic, bacteria usually cease multiplying when the pH drops below 4.5. A modern approach, biopreservation, adds lactic acid bacteria to the fish to be fermented and this produces active antimicrobials such as lactic and acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and peptide bacteriocins. It can also produce the antimicrobial nisin, an effective preservative. Fermented fish preparations can be notable for their putrid smell and these days there are many other techniques of preserving fish, but fish is still fermented because some people enjoy the taste. Alaska has witnessed an increase of cases of botulism since 1985. It has more cases of botulism than any state in the United States of America. Food fermentation Preserved fish Fermented fish are popular in Northeast states of India. There are several products traditionally prepared in the region viz. Shidal or seedal- prepared from small carp is a product of Assam, Fish is fermented in earthen pots for about 6 months and the final product is solid with sticky surface and strong pungent smell. It is eaten after cooking and prepared dishes like vegetable mix curry or chutney. Other products are tungtap of Meghalaya, Ngari of Manipur and numsing of Assam, kose S and GM Sustainability of fermented fish products Pages 39–47. In, George Hall, Fish Processing, Sustainability and New Opportunities, steinkraus, Keith H Industrialization of Indigenous Fermented Foods CRC Press
2.
Smoked fish
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Smoked fish is fish that has been cured by smoking. Foods have been smoked by humans throughout history, originally this was done as a preservative. In more recent times fish is preserved by refrigeration and freezing. According to Jeffrey J. Rozum The process of smoking fish occurs through the use of fire, wood contains three major components that are broken down in the burning process to form smoke. The burning process is called pyrolysis, which is defined as the chemical decomposition by heat. The major wood components are cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the major steps in the preparation of smoked fish are salting, cold smoking, cooling, packaging, and storage. Smoking, one of the oldest preservation methods, combines the effects of salting, drying, heating and smoking, typical smoking of fish is either cold or hot. A smokehouse is a building where fish or meat is cured with smoke, in a traditional fishing village, a smokehouse was often attached to a fishermans cottage. The smoked products might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more, traditional smokehouses served both as smokers and to store the smoked fish. Fish could be preserved if it was cured with salt and cold smoked for two weeks or longer, smokehouses were often secured to prevent animals and thieves from accessing the food. Today there are two methods of smoking fish, The traditional method and the mechanical method. The traditional method involves the fish being suspended in smokehouses over slowly smouldering wood shavings, the fish are left overnight to be naturally infused with smoke. In the mechanical method smoke is generated through the use of smoke condensates, the flow of smoke in the mechanical kiln is computer controlled and the fish generally spend less time being smoked than in a traditional kiln. High-quality smoked fish is a high–end product sought after by restaurants, the most common types of smoked fish in the US are salmon, mackerel, whitefish and trout, although other smoked fish is also available regionally or from many ethnic stores. Salmon, mackerel and herring are universally available both hot-smoked and cold-smoked, while most other fish is preserved by only one of the smoking methods. A common name for cold-smoked salmon is lox, of many different types are available. Traditionally, lox designates brined rather than smoked salmon, but the boundary between the two types of products has become blurred. Gravad lax or gravlax remains the type that is unmistakably not smoked fish
3.
Kelp
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Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera, Kelp grows in underwater forests in shallow oceans, and is thought to have appeared in the Miocene,23 to 5 million years ago. The organisms require nutrient-rich water with temperatures between 6 and 14 °C and they are known for their high growth rate—the genera Macrocystis and Nereocystis can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres. Through the 19th century, the word kelp was closely associated with seaweeds that could be burned to obtain soda ash, the seaweeds used included species from both the orders Laminariales and Fucales. The word kelp was also used directly to refer to these processed ashes, in most kelp, the thallus consists of flat or leaf-like structures known as blades. Blades originate from elongated stem-like structures, the stipes, the holdfast, a root-like structure, anchors the kelp to the substrate of the ocean. Gas-filled bladders form at the base of blades of American species, such as Nereocystis lueteana, growth occurs at the base of the meristem, where the blades and stipe meet. Growth may be limited by grazing, sea urchins, for example, can reduce entire areas to urchin barrens. The kelp life cycle involves a diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte stage, the haploid phase begins when the mature organism releases many spores, which then germinate to become male or female gametophytes. Sexual reproduction then results in the beginning of the sporophyte stage. The parenchymatous thalli are generally covered with a layer, rather than cuticle. Kelp may develop dense forests with high production, biodiversity and ecological function, along the Norwegian coast these forests cover 5800 km2, and they support large numbers of animals. Numerous sessile animals are found on kelp stipes and mobile invertebrate fauna are found in high densities on epiphytic algae on the kelp stipes, more than 100,000 mobile invertebrates per square meter are found on kelp stipes and holdfasts in well-developed kelp forests. Giant kelp can be harvested fairly easily because of its surface canopy, bongo kelp ash is rich in iodine and alkali. In great amount, kelp ash can be used in soap, until the Leblanc process was commercialized in the early 19th century, burning of kelp in Scotland was one of the principal industrial sources of soda ash. Alginate, a carbohydrate, is used to thicken products such as ice cream, jelly, salad dressing. Alginate powder is used frequently in general dentistry and orthodontics for making impressions of the upper and lower arches. Kombu is used to flavor broths and stews, as a garnish for rice and other dishes, as a vegetable
4.
Kombu
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Saccharina japonica is a marine species of Phaeophyceae, a type of kelp or seaweed, that is extensively cultivated in China, Japan and Korea. A commercially important species, Saccharina japonica is known as kombu, large harvests are produced by rope cultivation, a simple method of growing seaweeds by attaching them to floating ropes in the ocean. The species is native to Japan, but has been cultivated in China, Japan, Russia, France and it is one of the two most consumed species of kelp in China and Japan. The harvest is used for the production of alginates, with China producing up to ten thousand tonnes of the product each year. Consuming excessive amounts of Saccharina japonica has been shown to suppress thyroid function, the species was transferred to Saccharina in 2006. Three synonyms for this name are Laminaria japonica J. E. Areschoug 1851, its variety Laminaria japonica var. ochotensis Okamura 1936. Kombu Edible seaweed Seafood allergy Vitamin B12
5.
Soba
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Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It usually refers to noodles made from buckwheat flour, or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. They contrast to thick wheat noodles, called udon, in Japan, the word can refer to any thin noodle. Soba noodles are served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup. In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of settings, throughout Japan, but are also served by expensive specialty restaurants. Markets sell dried noodles and men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, there are a wide variety of dishes, both hot for winter and cold for summer, using these noodles. Soba is a good addition to a diet reliant on white rice. Thiamine, missing from white rice, is present in soba, Soba contains all eight essential amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in wheat flour. The tradition of eating soba arose in the Edo period, fagopyrum esculentum, Moench originating in Manchuria. The tradition of eating soba originates from the Tokugawa period, also called the Edo period, in the Tokugawa era, every neighborhood had one or two soba establishments, many also serving sake, which functioned much like modern cafes where locals would stop for a casual meal. At that time, the population of Edo, being wealthier than the rural poor, were more susceptible to beriberi due to their high consumption of white rice. It was discovered that beriberi could be prevented by regularly eating thiamine-rich soba, some establishments, especially cheaper and more casual ones, may serve both soba and udon as they are often served in a similar manner. Soba is the traditional noodle of choice for Tokyoites, Soba is typically eaten with chopsticks, and in Japan, it is considered acceptable to slurp the noodles noisily. This is especially common with hot noodles, as drawing up the noodles quickly into the mouth helps cool them, however, quiet consumption of noodles is no longer uncommon. Like many Japanese noodles, soba noodles are often served drained and chilled in the summer, extra toppings can be added to both hot and cold soba. Toppings are chosen to reflect the seasons and to balance with other ingredients, most toppings are added without much cooking, although some are deep-fried. Most of these dishes may also be prepared with udon, chilled soba is often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side. The tsuyu is made of a mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce
6.
Japanese cuisine
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Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of social and economic changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes, side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi, seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter, as tempura. Apart from rice, staples include noodles, such as soba, Japan also has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikujaga. Foreign food—in particular Chinese food like ramen, fried dumplings, and gyōza—as well as foods like curry, historically, the Japanese shunned meat, but with the modernization of Japan in the 1880s, meat-based dishes such as tonkatsu became common. Japanese cuisine, particularly sushi, has become popular throughout the world, as of 2011, Japan overtook France in number of Michelin-starred restaurants and has maintained the title since. Japanese cuisine is based on combining the staple food, which is steamed rice or gohan, with one or several okazu or main dishes. This may be accompanied by a clear or miso soup and tsukemono, the phrase ichijū-sansai refers to the makeup of a typical meal served, but has roots in classic kaiseki, honzen, and yūsoku cuisine. The term is used to describe the first course served in standard kaiseki cuisine nowadays. Rice is served in its own small bowl, and each item is placed on its own small plate or bowl for each individual portion. This is done even at home and it contrasts with the Western-style dinners at home, where each individual takes helpings from the large serving dishes of food presented at the middle of the dining table. Placing okazu on top of rice and soiling it is frowned upon by old-fashioned etiquette. The small rice bowl or chawan doubles as a word for the large tea bowls in tea ceremonies, thus in common speech, the drinking cup is referred to as yunomi-jawan or yunomi for the purpose of distinction. In the olden days, among the nobility, each course of a full-course Japanese meal would be brought on serving napkins called zen, which were originally platformed trays or small dining tables. In the modern age, faldstool trays or stackup-type legged trays may still be used in zashiki, i. e. tatami-mat rooms. Teishoku means a meal of fixed menu, a dinner à prix fixe served at shokudō or ryōriten, which is somewhat vague, defines it as fare served at teishoku dining hall, etc. Emphasis is placed on seasonality of food or shun, and dishes are designed to herald the arrival of the four seasons or calendar months, seasonality means taking advantage of the fruit of the mountains as well as the fruit of the sea as they come into season. Thus the first catch of skipjack tunas that arrives with the Kuroshio Current has traditionally been greatly prized, if something becomes available rather earlier than usual, the first crop or early catch is called hashiri
7.
Fish fillet
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In preparation for filleting, any scales on the fish should be removed. The contents of the stomach also need careful detaching from the fillet, because fish fillets do not contain the larger bones running along the vertebrae, they are often said to be boneless. However, some species, such as the carp, have smaller intramuscular bones called pins within the fillet. The skin present on one side may or may not be stripped from the fillet, butterfly fillets can be produced by cutting the fillets on each side in such a way that they are held together by the flesh and skin of the belly. Fish fillets can be contrasted with fish steaks, which are cut perpendicular to the spine, fish fillets comprise the flesh of the fish, which is the skeletal muscles and fat as opposed to the bones and viscera. Fillets are usually obtained by slicing the fish parallel to the spine, the remaining bones with the attached flesh is called the frame, and is often used to make fish stock. As opposed to whole fish or fish steaks, fillets do not contain the fishs backbone, they yield less flesh, special cut fillets are taken from solid large blocks, these include a natural cut fillet, wedge, rhombus or tail shape. Fillets may be skinless or have skin on, pinbones may or may not be removed, a fletch is a large boneless fillet of halibut, swordfish or tuna. There are several ways to cut a fish fillet, Cutlet, obtained by slicing from behind the head of the fish, round the belly and tapering towards the tail. The fish is then turned and the process repeated on the side to produce a double fillet Single, more complex than the cutlet
8.
Oak
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An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 600 extant species of oaks, the common name oak also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus, as well as in those of unrelated species such as Grevillea robusta and the Casuarinaceae. North America contains the largest number of oak species, with approximately 90 occurring in the United States, the second greatest center of oak diversity is China, which contains approximately 100 species. Oaks have spirally arranged leaves, with lobate margins in many species, also, the acorns contain tannic acid, as do the leaves, which helps to guard from fungi and insects. Many deciduous species are marcescent, not dropping dead leaves until spring, in spring, a single oak tree produces both male flowers and small female flowers. The fruit is a nut called an acorn, borne in a structure known as a cupule, each acorn contains one seed and takes 6–18 months to mature. The live oaks are distinguished for being evergreen, but are not actually a distinct group, the oak tree is a flowering plant. Oaks may be divided into two genera and a number of sections, The genus Quercus is divided into the following sections, Quercus, the white oaks of Europe, Asia and North America. Styles are short, acorns mature in 6 months and taste sweet or slightly bitter, the leaves mostly lack a bristle on their lobe tips, which are usually rounded. The type species is Quercus robur, Mesobalanus, Hungarian oak and its relatives of Europe and Asia. Styles long, acorns mature in about 6 months and taste bitter, the section Mesobalanus is closely related to section Quercus and sometimes included in it. Cerris, the Turkey oak and its relatives of Europe and Asia, styles long, acorn mature in 18 months and taste very bitter. The inside of the shell is hairless. Its leaves typically have sharp tips, with bristles at the lobe tip. Protobalanus, the live oak and its relatives, in southwest United States. Styles short, acorns mature in 18 months and taste very bitter, the inside of the acorn shell appears woolly. Leaves typically have sharp tips, with bristles at the lobe tip. Lobatae, the red oaks of North America, Central America, styles long, acorns mature in 18 months and taste very bitter
9.
Lithocarpus
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Lithocarpus is a genus in the beech family Fagaceae, differing from Quercus in the erect spikes of insect-pollinated male flowers and the short styles with punctate stigmas on the female flowers. The World Checklist accepts 334 species, though some texts suggest as few as 100 species. About 100 Asian species of the genus were formerly treated in the genus Pasania, all are native to east and southeast Asia. These Asian species do not have a well-known English vernacular name, lithocarpus trees are evergreen trees with leathery, alternate leaves, which may be either entire or toothed. The seed is a nut similar to an oak acorn. The nut kernel is edible in some species, but inedible, several of the species are very attractive ornamental trees, used in parks and large gardens in warm temperate and subtropical areas
10.
Castanopsis
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Castanopsis, commonly called chinquapin or chinkapin, is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the beech family, Fagaceae. The genus contains about 120 species, which are restricted to tropical and subtropical eastern Asia. A total of 58 species are native to China, with 30 endemic, the species occur further south, through Indochina to Indonesia. They show many characters typical of Fagaceae and they are at least large shrubs but some species grow into sizeable trees. Their leaves are tough and much sclerotized and have a well-developed cuticula. Their flowers are unisexual, and the ones are borne in erect catkins. The epigynous female flowers produce a single seed each but are congregated in small clusters, the fruit is a calybium, the kind of encased nut typical of Fagaceae. The calybium resembles an acorn, the cupule is hard like that of beechnuts. Three thickened ridges run the length of the calybiums shell, in their rather circumscribed area of occurrence, Castanopsis are able to inhabit a wide range of temperate to tropical habitat and are often keystone species in their ecosystems. They are plentiful in ecotones as diverse as Borneo montane rain forests, Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests, generally they are common in Fagales-dominated montane forests and temperate to subtropical laurel forests. In the latter, they are elements of the climax vegetation in essentially their entire continental Asian range. Plants of this genus grow on soil types, as long as they are not calcareous. Several species have adapted to podsolic, peat bog, swamp and other acidic and/or wet soils, around the Oligo-Miocene boundary, Castanopsis grew abundantly along rivers and in bogs and swamps of then-subtropical Europe. The prehistoric plant community Castanopsietum oligo-miocenicum is the source of much of the deposits in Western. Most species yield valuable timber but some have become rare due to unsustainable logging, as noted above, however, perhaps the most important use for Castanopsis wood is in its fossil form. 175,400 metric tons of lignite - much of which was former chinkapin trees - were mined in Germany in 2001, as with many Fagaceae, the nuts of many Castanopsis species are edible. The trees may be grown for their nuts, but more often they are used as forestry or ornamental trees, among many animals, such as tits, corvids, rodents, deer and pigs, the nuts are popular as food too. Meguro, Tokyo and Matsudo, Chiba in Japan use shii as one of their municipal symbols, the well-known and commercially important shiitake mushroom likes to grow on the logs of C. cuspidata and derives its common name from this, shii-take simply means Castanopsis cuspidata mushroom
