Weekend Breakfast Thoughts: Why We Love Salmon in Japan (Mayumi Matsui)

    Hi All,
 
    I like to take my time and enjoy breakfast on weekends.

    Here in Japan’s Tokai region, there is a strong “morning culture,” and many people enjoy a relaxed start to the day. Cafés are especially popular in the morning, and breakfast is often treated as a small but enjoyable ritual. How about where you live—do you take your time over breakfast?

    For this particular morning, I chose salmon. In Japan, where eating raw fish is common, sashimi is easy to find at supermarkets. Most of the salmon sold for sashimi is Atlantic salmon, and it is largely imported from Chile and Norway.

    You can find many kinds of salmon lined up at the store. Chum salmon and coho salmon are more traditional in Japan, and there is also imported sockeye salmon. In recent years, domestically branded trout varieties have also become more common, with a texture similar to Atlantic salmon.

    Why do Japanese people love salmon so much? I’m not entirely sure, but I suspect there are a few reasons: salmon used to be landed in large numbers in the past, and as Japanese diets have gradually become richer in fats, fish with a fattier texture may have become more popular.

    Anyway, the photo shows my weekend breakfast.

    I bought a cold-smoking kit some time ago, so when I have the time, I like to make smoked salmon using cherry wood chips.

    The citrus served alongside is a variety called Hime-Koharu, a type of satsuma from Ehime Prefecture, which I received as a souvenir. For the dressing, I mixed citrus juice with olive oil, salt, dill, and a small amount of kombu tea as a hidden flavor.

    Ehime is known for its incredible variety of citrus fruits, and new brands continue to be developed. If you enjoy citrus, I highly recommend visiting Ehime someday. It’s also have Dogo Onsen(famous hot spring), making it a wonderful travel destination.