Otsumami: Tsumami Tara Dried Cod Fish Snack

“Otsumami (おつまみ)” is the Japanese word for snacks eaten with alcoholic drinks.

The representative examples include Kamaboko fish cake, Surume dried squid, Kaki no Tane crackers, and Cheese Tara or Chiitara.

Actually, the majority of traditional Japanese Otsumami are dried seafood snacks, and what I introduce here, Tsumami Tara, is also among them.

Japanese Dried Cod Fish Snack: Tsumami Tara (つまみ鱈)

The word that can also be seen in the name Cheese Tara, “Tara (鱈/たら)” means “cod” or “codfish” in Japanese.

So the main ingredient of the Otsumami Tsumami Tara is the fish, cod, or Tara.

Meanwhile, “Tsumami (つまみ)” has the same meaning as Otsumami and refers to finger foods and nibbles.

Tsumami Tara is one of the Otsumami classics, and today, several Japanese companies are producing it.

Now, let’s see the contents.

In the package, there are quite a few pieces of dried fish.

These thick strips are made by shredding the flesh of a cod or Alaska pollock.

The shreds are dried and seasoned mainly with sugar, salt, and red chili pepper.

Taste

The seasoned cod is more on the salty side rather than sweet and goes perfectly with chilled beer or sake.

Like Surume squid, this snack has a tough texture. But thanks to that, you can savor the taste for a long time.

In other words, the more you chew on the snack, the more the umami comes out and the tastier it becomes!

Ingredients/Nutrition Facts

According to the ingredient list and nutrition facts label,

the Otsumami Tsumami Tara consists of Alaska pollack, sugar, salt, red chili pepper, sorbitol, amino acid seasoning, sweeteners (stevia, licorice), and pH adjusters.

The calories per 100 grams are 289 kcal, and the snack contains 3.3 g salt equivalents (per 100 g).

Where to Buy

As Tsumami Tara is a popular Otsumami, it is available in many supermarkets around the country.

By the way, I bought this one for 398 yen (about 3.9 USD).