Satsuma-age

Satsuma-age proves that, like most things edible, minced fish paste benefits from a little time in the deep fryer. Originally from Kagoshima in Kyushu, these golf-ball-sized goodies can be made with a variety of vegetables: slivers of gobo burdock root, chopped shiitake mushrooms and sliced onions. It is also called tsuke-age in Kagoshima and known as chiki-agi in Okinawa.

This popular Japanese dish is eaten plain or lightly roasted and dipped in ginger and soy sauce or mustard and soy sauce. It is used in oden, udon, sara udon or nimono (stewed dishes).