tsukudani; food simmered in sweetened soy sauce
A traditional Japanese preserved food made by simmering small fish, shellfish, seaweed, or other ingredients in soy sauce, sugar, and mirin until the liquid is absorbed. Often served as a side dish or rice topping.
朝ごはんに、ご飯と佃煮を食べました。
I had rice and tsukudani for breakfast.
この佃煮は、小魚を甘辛く煮てあります。
This tsukudani is made by simmering small fish in a sweet and salty sauce.
Standard kanji spelling; common in news and everyday use.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; sometimes used for readability.
Kana spelling; common in casual writing or when the kanji is not needed.
Named after Tsukudajima (佃島), an island in Tokyo where this cooking method was developed during the Edo period. The exact historical derivation is well-established.