Tatami Iwashi

"For the Naruto character, see List of Konoha Chunin"

Tatami Iwashi (タタミイワシ) is a Japanese processed food product made from baby sardines or "shirasu" (白子 / しらす) laid out and dried while entwined in a single layer to form a large mat-like sheet. Typically, this is done by drying them in the sun on a bamboo frame, a process that is evocative of the manufacture of traditional Japanese paper.

Tatami Iwashi can then be cut to various sizes and used in different ways. Common serving styles include use as an ingredient in soup or cut into small pieces for use as a snack or accompaniment to sake or beer drinking, known as "sakana".

This food item is named for its resemblance to a straw tatami mat common in traditional Japanese-style rooms or houses.

External links

* [http://www.hamato.co.jp/AjinoHmato/SYOKU_info/tinmi/tinmi_history.html#] The process of making Tatami Iwashi (with Japanese text) can be seen here on the website of Japanese manufacturer Hamato.