Hanpen (はんぺん) Fish Cake
You can grill, deep-fry, or simmer it in flavorful broths. Also, you can enjoy it as is, without any additional cooking steps.
Hanpen is a delightful fish-based paste that comes in a white, square shape. It is made by combining fish, such as Alaska Pollock, with grated mountain yam and seasonings. The mixture is then formed into thin squares or half-moon shapes and gently boiled to perfection.
While Hanpen can be made using various types of fish, including blue shark, shortfin mako shark, thresher shark, or billfish, the most highly regarded quality Hanpen is made from shark. However, due to the difficulty of sourcing fresh shark meat nowadays, obtaining Hanpen made from shark is quite rare.
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