katsuo no tataki (straw-seared bonito)
dish / dish-katsuo-tataki
かつおのたたき
Katsuo no tataki (straw-seared bonito) is a regional dish of Kōchi Prefecture and elsewhere in which the surface of bonito is seared, then pounded and dressed with condiments.
On this page (6 sections)
Reading the bitterness
In a recipe for 4 servings from Kōchi Prefecture posted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 300g of bonito fillet is divided into the back and belly portions, seared on 3 sides by holding it over an open flame on a grill net or fish skewer, and then cut into thick sashimi slices. 1/2 teaspoon of salt is sprinkled over it and pounded in, then half each of yuzu vinegar and soy sauce are sprinkled on and lightly pounded in. Thin slices of 4-5 cloves of garlic and preferred aromatics are scattered on top, and the remaining sauce is poured over.
A separate record of Kōchi Prefecture's food culture reports that there is more than one way to finish the dish. After searing the skin-on surface, this source states that whether it is served warm or cooled, whether it is pounded with salt alone, and whether a soy-sauce-and-mirin sauce, a citrus vinegar, or vinegar and sake is used differ between coastal and inland areas. Both sources are records of cooking practice, not a test in which people compared the aroma of straw versus gas, or bitterness.
Sources for this overview
Checked for this overview: Supports the process, for 4 servings with 300g of bonito, of dividing it into back and belly portions, searing 3 sides over an open flame, and slicing it thick / Supports using 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of yuzu vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of soy sauce in 2 stages, and finishing with 4-5 cloves of garlic and aromatics
Checked for this overview: Supports the choice between serving warm or cooling, the options of salt, sauce, citrus vinegar, or vinegar and sake, the regional differences, and the limitation that this is not a sensory comparison
Other names: 藁焼きかつおのたたき (ja)
Follow the connections
katsuo no tataki (straw-seared bonito) →is processed by→ straw searing
Structured claims — open a section to read each claim's confidence, evidence and limits
How processing and cooking change it (4)
Scope: Katsuo tataki of Kōchi Prefecture, recorded in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 「うちの郷土料理」 (in translation: "Our Regional Cuisine").
Note: It states: 「風味を出すためにわらであぶるのが良いとされるが、一般家庭ではガスの火であぶることが多い」 (in translation: "searing with straw is considered best for producing flavor, but ordinary households often sear it over a gas flame"). Although it explicitly states that straw searing is considered preferable, the source contains no numerical values for combustion temperature or searing time, nor any of the words bitterness, charring, or savory aroma.
Show data
dish-katsuo-tataki —is_processed_by→ process-straw-searingScope: A recipe for 4 servings from Kōchi Prefecture, posted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. 300g of bonito fillet
Note: The type of flame, the temperature, the searing time, and whether the fish is cooled after heating are not stated in this specific recipe. This is not a measurement of surface toastiness or bitterness.
Show data
dish-katsuo-tataki —is_processed_by→ "The flesh from a 3-piece fillet is divided into back and belly portions, seared on 3 sides by holding it over an open flame on a grill net or fish skewer, and cut into thick sashimi slices"Scope: A recipe for 4 servings from Kōchi Prefecture, posted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of yuzu vinegar, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 20g of green onion, 4-5 cloves of garlic
Note: The same page explicitly states that the aromatics and quantities vary by region and household. An explanation of the name's origin is not treated here as an experimental fact.
Show data
dish-katsuo-tataki —is_prepared_with→ "Salt is sprinkled over the thick-sliced flesh and pounded in, then half each of yuzu vinegar and soy sauce are sprinkled on and lightly pounded in. Garlic and preferred green onion or onion are scattered on top, and the remaining soy sauce and yuzu vinegar are poured over"Scope: Chapter 4, 『土佐の郷土料理』 (in translation: "Regional Cuisine of Tosa"), of the Kōchi Prefecture Culture and Arts Promotion Vision, on coastal/inland differences
Note: This is a source that lists the regional-difference options; it is not a survey measuring distribution, number of households, preference, bitterness, or toastiness.
Show data
dish-katsuo-tataki —is_prepared_with→ "According to a record from Kōchi Prefecture, after searing, whether the dish is served warm or cooled, whether it is pounded with salt alone, and whether a soy-sauce-and-mirin sauce, a citrus vinegar, or vinegar and sake is used differ by region"