pre-seasoning; marinating; seasoning before cooking
Refers to seasoning applied to ingredients before the main cooking process, such as marinating meat or fish, or pre-flavoring vegetables. Common in Japanese cooking.
If you season the chicken before grilling, the flavor will soak in well.
If the pre-seasoning is insufficient, the overall flavor of the dish becomes dull.
Compound of 下 (した, 'beforehand; preliminary') and 味 (あじ, 'taste; flavor'). The reading したあじ is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi readings of the two kanji.