There’s a Fish Fin in My Drink

Posted by Jonelle Patrick on December 13, 2011 in Food | Leave a comment

Finally it’s cold and rainy out, just the season for a swig of hot saké with a smoked, dried blowfish fin floating in it! Hirezake is such a wintertime favorite here in Japan that they sell these single-serving cans in vending machines. But nobody wants to encounter a nasty, soggy fish fin that’s been stewing in the can for days, so the little dried appendage is carefully packaged inside the plastic lid on top, so it can be added fresh, just before drinking.

Jonelle Patrick is the author of the Only In Tokyo mystery series, published by Penguin/Intermix.