What is the pink powder in Japanese food?
Mysterious pink powder
When you eat Sushi rolls or Chirashi Sushi, do you find pink powder in it?
When I made sushi rolls with my friend in U.S., she asked me, "What is this pink powder?"
This powder is such a familiar ingredient in Japanese life that it is difficult to explain now.
It is "Sakura Denbu"!
This pink powder is called "Sakura denbu”.
There is no English name for this ingredient because it is unique to Japan.
It is used in Japanese cuisine to add color to express cherry blossoms and spring.
It is sold at all grocery stores in Japan, and is one of the ingredients that are always available in the home.
What's it made of?
The main ingredient is white fish such as cod.
The reason for its pink color is food coloring.
It is made by heating broken up white fish with red wine, sugar, salt, and sake.
It tastes sweet when eaten because of the larger amount of sugar.
In Japan, many people buy ready-made one instead of making it themselves, but it is actually very easy to make!
Don't be afraid to try it :)
It takes courage to try food you have never seen before.
For example, natto (fermented soybeans) is certainly a taste that some people may not like. However, sakura-denbu is "just sweet," so if you have any doubts, I highly recommend you give it a try !
I found it on Amazon.
Incidentally, we also found a powder called "sakura powder," which is different from sakura denbu and is used to flavor cherry blossoms.
