Hanpen
Hanpen (半片) is a white, square, triangle or round surimi product (fish or meat paste) with a soft, mild taste. It is believed to have been invented during the Edo period in Japan by a chef, Hanpei (半平) of Suruga, and the dish is named after him.[1] Another theory suggests that because it is triangle shaped and appears to have been cut in half from a square, it is a half (半, han) piece (片, pen). It can be eaten as an ingredient in oden or soup. It can also be fried or broiled.
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In Shizuoka Prefecture, whole sardines are used, and the resulting product has a bluish-gray color. This is called kuro hanpen (黒はんぺん), literally "black hanpen".
Hanpen is made from grated Japanese mountain yam, surimied Alaska pollock, salt, and seaweed stock (kombu-dashi).
See also
Food portal
References
- Origin of hanpen Archived 2008-12-31 at the Wayback Machine: Kibun foods