Okaka: The Savory & Salty Rice Seasoning
Okaka is a dish made from dried and fermented fish, katsuobushi, combined with soy sauce. It’s similar to furikake but moister and saltier. Furikake has more ingredients and is somewhat crunchy.
It is popular in Japan and other parts of Asia. The dish is made by drying the fish and then fermenting it.
This process gives the fish a strong flavor that is often described as being similar to cheese. Although most people will make okaka with this katsuobushi fermented fish pre-bought.
Okaka is usually served with rice or noodles. It can also be used as a topping on other dishes such as salads or soups.
The strong flavor of the dish means that it is not to everyone’s taste but those who enjoy it often find it addictive.
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What does “okaka” mean?
Okaka means finely chopped katsuobushi with soy sauce you can sprinkle over rice or other dishes.
Best okaka to buy
Okaka is not something you buy pre-packaged because of the soy sauce. The wetness would cause it to deteriorate too fast for it to be packaged.
But you can make it with just the two ingredients.
My favorite katsuobushi to use are these Kaneso bags:
And just add the soy sauce brand of your choice.
You can also use furikake seasoning with okaka flavor I’ve seen from Negatanien. It has the same flavor profile and you can use it mixed in with the rice as well:
Is okaka healthy?
Yes, okaka is healthy. It is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The fermentation process also creates probiotics, which are beneficial for gut health.
Conclusion
Okaka is such an easy seasoning to make (if you have the katsuobushi, making that yourself is impossible!) but very delicious and savory at the same time.
Just sprinkle some on your rice and you don’t even need anything else.
Also try this okaka onigiri recipe to really get some good tasting rice balls
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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
