Why are some mackerel in Japan called "culture-dried"?

Saba no bunka-boshi literally means "culture-dried mackerel." The name is said to come from a Tokyo seafood processor that, around 1950, began wrapping dried fish in cellophane. It looked modern — "cultured" — and the name stuck.

I just published a new sample on Japan's grilled fish set meal (yakizakana teishoku): what's on the tray, why grated daikon sits next to the fish, and how to eat a whole fish without flipping it.

English blog article + 55-second video script, with sources. If you run a channel or blog about Japan, food, or travel, I'm taking new projects.

https://contra.com/p/Bg6gUY2m-grilled-fish-set-english-article-55-second-script