【Reading】たてしお

【English Name】Brine-salting

Tatejio is a preparation technique in which seafood is soaked in salt water adjusted to roughly the concentration of seawater (about 3 percent). It is a method contrasted with "furijio," in which salt is sprinkled directly on, and is characterized by being able to season the entire ingredient evenly with salt.

Generally, about 2 tablespoons of salt are dissolved per liter of water, and the fish is soaked in it briefly. It is suited to delicate ingredients such as white-fleshed fish and shellfish, and can gently draw out excess moisture and odor while preventing only the surface from becoming overly salty. With furijio, unevenness in flavor tends to occur between the spots the salt touches and those it does not, but with tatejio such unevenness is unlikely to arise.

At sushi restaurants, it is widely used for preparation before curing (shimeru) and for removing odor from fish intended for sashimi. The soaking time is adjusted according to the size and type of the ingredient, said to range from a few minutes to several tens of minutes. The technique calls for finishing the ingredient without spoiling its inherent flavor by lifting it out after a short time.

The "tate" in the name is said to derive from "tateru" (to prepare, to make ready) the salt water, and it is widely known as one of the fundamental preparation techniques of Japanese cuisine.