Nerimono / Fish cake（練り物）

JAPANESE FOODS

12.02.2025

Japan has a wide variety of fish cakes. It was one of the foods I missed most when I lived abroad. In Japanese, it’s called ‘nerimono,’ and in English, ‘fish cake.’ I was surprised to learn that ‘nerimono’ translates to ‘fish cake’ in English, as it’s not sweet like a typical cake.
You can find many different kinds of fish cakes in Japanese supermarkets. In this article, I would like to introduce you to my favorite nerimono.

Nerimono

The history of “nerimono”, or fish cakes, is quite old, dating back to the Heian period (794-1185).
It is a processed food made by grinding fish meat, adding seasonings such as salt, and then grilling, steaming, boiling, or frying it. The ingredients added vary depending on the region, and there are also those containing eggs, kelp, vegetables, and cheese. There are more than 10 types of well-known varieties alone.

My Favorite Nerimono Chikuwa

Chikuwa is a long, cylindrical-shaped fish cake with a hole running through the center. It’s typically grilled, but can also be steamed or boiled.
I love chikuwa tempura and often asked my mother to put it in my lunchbox when I was a student. My partner almost always chooses chikuwa tempura as a topping at udon restaurants. Besides tempura, it is also delicious to eat with cheese or cucumber inside.

Local Speciality Hyotan-age

The other day, I went on a trip to Sendai and found a unique nerimono snack. It is a snack made by coating a round nerimono (kamaboko) with a batter and frying it like an American corn dog. It looked cute and was very delicious.

Try it in Japan!

There are many different types of Japanese fish cakes. You can easily find the ones mentioned above in any Japanese supermarket. I hope you’ll find your favorite kind and enjoy delicious ways of eating them!