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What is Sakura Denbu?
Sakura Denbu is a Japanese condiment made with tiny flakes of white fish seasoned with sugar and salt. It has a sweet and mild flavor, and gets its name from it’s light pink color that resembles cherry blossom flowers (sakura).
Denbu is a originally a type of “tsukudani”, which is a traditional method of simmering seafood, meat or seaweed with soy sauce and mirin to help preserve them. It has believed to be around since the Edo period (1603-1868) and is a popular rice topping to this day. I also have a kombu tsukudani recipe if you’re interested!
Sakura Denbu is most commonly used in sushi dishes such as chirashizushi (scattered sushi) and ehomaki (lucky direction sushi rolls), but there is no limit in the ways it can be used. It’s a great way to add some color and subtle sweetness to other dishes such as rice bowls (donburi), rice balls (onigiri) and decorate bento boxes.
Sakura Denbu can be found is Japanese supermarkets with other dry ingredients, or online (affiliate link). However, this recipe is so simple and accessible, so I hope you give it a try!
How I Developed This Recipe
I recently learned that Sakura Denbu is very expensive in the US. We’re talking 10x the cost of buying it in Japan!
Store-bought Sakura Denbu is dried and has a long shelf life, however, I wanted to create an easy homemade version that you can easily make in a frying pan with simple (and cheap) ingredients.
It’s surprisingly easy to make homemade Sakura Denbu, so why don’t you give it a try?!
Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Fish: Sakura Denbu is made with white fish, most commonly cod or sea bream. If you can’t use these, other kinds of flakey white fish will also work. Some ideas include haddock, pollock or tilapia. Use skinless fillets that have already been deboned for convenience.
- Sake: Sake is used to soften both the texture and taste of the fish. If you can’t use sake, I recommend swapping it for water and adding a piece of ginger to the pot when boiling the fish to help soften the odor.
- Sugar: White granulated or caster sugar gives the Sakura Denbu its classic sweet flavor. Stick to white sugar to avoid changing the color of the fish.
- Salt: A pinch of salt will balance the flavors and make them shine. You can add more to taste.
- Red food dye: To make the flakes pink, I add a small amount of red food coloring. If you want to use natural colorings, beetroot juice would be a good alternative.
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Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make homemade Sakura Denbu for sushi, bento boxes and more. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Start by boiling the fish filets in water for 3-5 minutes. The duration depends on the thickness of the fish, but it should be cooked through to make it easier to break.
Tip: If you can’t use sake in the later step, then add a small piece of ginger to the water at this point to help soften the fish odors.
Drain the water and pour the fish into a fine mesh sieve. Place the sieve in a bowl and fill it with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and the sieve will save any flakes that have started breaking off already.
Gently rub the surface to clean it, then drain the water and pat the filets dry with kitchen paper and squeeze out any leftover moisture.
Rub the flesh between your fingers to make fine flakes. If you want to protect your hands from odors, wear food-safe gloves.
If you want your sakura denbu to be perfectly pink, remove any brown parts at this point too.
Mix the sugar, salt, sake and food coloring to a small bowl and mix until dissolved. If you can’t use sake, substitute for water to keep the same consistency.
Place the cod flakes in a cold non-stick frying pan and add the pink liquid from the previous step. Mix well and heat on low.
Note: We don’t use any oil as we don’t want to brown the fish flakes.
Stir the mixture continuously to prevent burning or sticking. I recommend a silicone spatula to help scrape the bottom of the pan.
Spread the flakes out into a thin layer, then scoop back into the middle and repeat. This method will help the flakes dry out quickly and evenly.
Once the flakes are dry, remove the pan from the heat.
Cool for 5-10 minutes before using or storing.
Enjoy it in your favorite sushi, or use it to decorate rice bowls or bento boxes!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsHow to Store
Homemade Sakura Denbu keeps best in an airtight jar at the back of the refrigerator and should be used up within 3-4 days.
For longer storage, it is also suitable for freezing. If you make a large batch, divide it into smaller portions. You can freeze it for 1-2 months.
Thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator to defrost. You might need to pan-fry it once more to remove any accumulated moisture and return it to its dried state.
FAQ
Sakura Denbu is most commonly used in sushi dishes such as chirashizushi (scattered sushi) or futomaki (thick sushi rolls). However its uses are not limited to sushi, it can be used decoratively in rice bowls, bentos and even on side dishes. It’s commonly used in spring dishes due to its cute cherry blossom-like appearance.
Sakura denbu has a sweet and mildly fishy flavor.
Sakura Denbu is most commonly made from cod or sea bream. Most types of white flakey fish will work well when making sakura denbu.
I hope you enjoy this homemade Sakura Denbu recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Ingredient Recipes
If you’re interested in homemade Japanese ingredients, check out some of these recipes:
- Homemade Japanese Mayonnaise (Kewpie Style)
- Homemade Ikura (Japanese Marinated Caviar)
- Kinshi Tamago (Shredded Egg Crepe)
- Japanese Salmon Flakes (For Onigiri and Donburi)
Homemade Sakura Denbu (Fluffy Pink Fish Flakes)
Ingredients
- 200 g cod fillets skinless
- 4 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 drops pink food coloring or natural substitute like beetroot juice
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add 200 g cod fillets. Boil for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
- Drain and place the cooked cod in a bowl of cold water to cool it. I recommend using a sieve to save any broken pieces of cod. Gently rub the surface of the cod to wash it, then drain the water and rinse with fresh water.
- Pat the surface dry with kitchen paper and then rub the filets between your fingers to break it into fine flakes.
- Mix 4 tsp sugar,1 pinch salt,1 tbsp sake and 2 drops pink food coloring in a bowl until dissolved.
- Place the cod flakes in a cold non-stick frying pan and pour in the mixture from the previous step. Heat the pan over a low heat and mix continuously to prevent browning.
- Cook until the liquid has evaporated the flakes are mostly dry with a small amount of moisture.
- Use for sushi, rice balls or bento boxes! Enjoy!
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