Furikake

Furikake(振り掛け,ふりかけ,振掛け,振掛)is a dryJapanesecondimentsprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish, or used as an ingredient inonigiri. It typically consists of a mixture ofdried fish,sesame seeds, choppedseaweed, sugar, salt, andmonosodium glutamate.Other ingredients, such askatsuobushi(sometimes indicated on the package asbonito),okaka(bonito flakesmoistened with soy sauce and dried again), freeze-driedsalmonparticles,shiso, egg, powderedmiso, or vegetables, are often added.
Furikakeis often brightly colored and flaky. It can have a slight fish or seafood flavoring and may be spicy and/or sweet. It can be used in Japanese cooking forpicklingand for rice balls (onigiri).
The Japan Furikake Association definesfurikakeas "seasoned and dried one or more kinds of marine products, agricultural products, livestock products, etc., and mixed with seaweed, sesame seeds, seasonings, and others. Its main use is sprinkled (in Japanese:furikake) on rice and other foods."
According to this definition,Gomashio(sesame salt), which is traditionally sprinkled onRed bean rice, andshiso, after being used to seasonumeboshi(pickled plums) and dried and powdered, are alsofurikake.Chazuke-no-moto, a mixture that becomeschazukewhen hot green tea is poured on it after sprinkling on rice, is also similar tofurikake.
In Japan, an herb sprinkling powder on rice or other food has long been calledfurikake. For example, an article titled "PicnicBento" published in 1925 describes how to makeonigiri: "Make a small onigiri of warm rice andfurikakea little roasted-sesame on it."
The termfurikakebecame established in the 1950s, but there were equivalent foods to it even before that.
The 13th-century culinary treatise "Chujiruiki" (厨事類記) lists shredded and driedred seabream,salmon, andsharkmeat, as well as thin slices ofkatsuobushi, as garnishes for rice.
Gomashio, which is still commonly eaten today, is made by roasting sesame seeds and mixing them with baked salt, and appears in an ancient document,Diary ofIshiyama Hongan-jiat 1536, under the name "gomashio." In that document, it is written that "on March 3, sekihan (red rice) was served at the celebration, and gomashio was placed on top of it."
Denbu(田麩), a food made by boiling powdered dried bonito flakes in sake and soy sauce, appears in an ancient 17th-century document called "Kokin Ryouri-shu" ("Collection of Ancient and Modern Cookbooks").
Tsukudani(佃煮), which appears in the 19th century colloquial dictionary "Risogonshuran" (俚言集覧) compiled by Ota Zensai (太田全斎), is made by boiling down small fish, shellfish, seaweed, and other ingredients in soy sauce to a rich flavor.The use of tsukudani is similar to furikake, but it is not usually called furikake in Japan today.
The modern furikake was invented by several companies between the 1900s and 1920s for the purpose of tasty nourishment. Regarding modern furikake, the Japan Furikake Association recognized Futaba's "Gohan no Tomo" as the original in 1994, but revoked this recognition in 2022 and is conducting a reexamination.The association's conclusion has not been reached as of 2023.
One account of the origin offurikakeis that it was developed during theTaishō period(1912–1926) by a pharmacist inKumamoto prefecturenamed Suekichi Yoshimaru(吉丸末吉).To address calcium deficiency in the Japanese population, Yoshimaru developed a mixture of ground fish bones with roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and seaweed that was made into a powder. This product, which he calledGohan no Tomo(ご飯の友,'A Friend for Rice'), is generally considered the precursor to contemporaryfurikake. A food company in Kumamoto later acquired the product and was able to sell it commercially.It was initially sold in a flask-like container shaped with a narrow neck to prevent moisture from seeping into the product.
Another theory is that in 1916, Tanaka Foods developed "Travel Friend"(旅行の友) in cans at the request of the military as a nutritional supplement.This is a blend of dried small fish powder seasoned with soy sauce, sesame, seaweed, and egg.
In 1927, a grocery retailer inFukushima Citynamed Seiichirō Kai developed a mixture consisting ofishimochi(silver white croaker,Pennahia argentata) with soy sauce seasoning, kelp, and sesame seeds. He founded the Marumiya Food Research Institute.Kai called his productKore Wa Umai(これは旨い,'This Is Tasty'); it was popular on its release. AlthoughKore Wa Umaiwas initially considered a luxury item for the affluent who were able to consume white rice on a regular basis, it later was made accessible to the Japanese working class.
The availability offurikakein Japan increased starting shortly after September 1948, whenNissin Foodsbegan to manufacture it on a large scale to addresspervasive malnourishment. The product was commercialized on the basis that it provided a good source ofproteinandcalcium.Furikakewas made widely available as it was dispensed to those serving in the Japanese military starting inWorld War I.
The termfurikakewas used generically to describe the product starting in 1959 with the formation of the NationalFurikakeAssociation. Since 1959,furikakeproducts are usually differentiated by their particular ingredients, such as salmonfurikakeand sesame-and-saltfurikake.
In the same year, Marumiya Foods developed "Noritama," a sweetened egg added toKore Wa Umaiwhich became popular asfurikakefor children. In 1963,Noritamawith a sticker of8 Manbecame explosively popular, andfurikakewas transformed from a luxury food for adults to a popular food for children.
In 1970, Mishima Shokuhin marketed a newfurikake, made by reusing the red shiso used to color pickled plums, under the product nameYukari.The name comes from the desire to create a connection ("縁" (yukari) in Japanese) with customers.
In the 1980s,furikakebecame strongly associated with children's food, and its use rapidly declined after the age of 12. In 1989, Nagatanien began selling "furikake for adults" using ingredients with a luxurious taste and pungent flavor. The initial varieties were "Salmon," "Bonito," and "Wasabi."
Marumiya has been sellingfurikakesince 1927, and according to a 2021The Nikkeisurvey, 11 of its products are among the top 20 value share about products in large bags. The product names include "Noritama", "Ajidoraku", "Soft Furikake", "Sukiyaki", and "Honkatsuo."
Nagatanien sellsfurikakethat is divided into individual servings. Its main products are "Furikake for Adult", "Furikake for Adult Mini", and "AnpanmanFurikake." However, Nagatanien's market share is far behind that of Marumiya.
Mishima Shokuhin'sfurikakeproducts include "Yukari" and "Umeko," and four of the aforementioned top 20 products in large bags are "Yukari" and one is "Umeko.