What is hassun in Japanese kaiseki?: the finest traditional Japanese appetizer sampler
Hassun: the king of Japanese “little bit of everything”
One of the major characteristics of Japanese cuisine is “little bit of everything.” However, it’s not something you can experience outside Japan, as your local Japanese restaurants won’t do it. First of all, it takes a lot of work to prepare small amount of many dishes. Plus, customers who are not used to small portions may complain. Little bit of everything is high-risk, low-return.
The reason you should try kaiseki and hassun when you travel to Japan
It’s definitely something you should try when you travel to Japan.
In traidtional Japanese kaiseki course, 八寸 (hassun) – a visually aesthetic appetizer sampler that represents one of the four seasons – is the perfect thing to try a little bit of everything. You easily get to enjoy more than five dishes of “mountain harvest (vegetables and fruits)” and “ocean harvest (seafood)” that are in season. A very authentic hassun has seafood dishes at the right back and vegetables at the left front.
Hassun ingredients and dishes
If you choose a good restaurant (which may cost $100~), you will be able to experience the types of intricate ingredients and cooking techniques you will never see in your country. Some ingredients are locally sourced and you won’t find them anywhere else. Even if you eat a lot of sushi at your local restaurants, you may have never heard of the seafood served as part of the hassun. It’s going to be quite an experience.
Also, if you like drinking, this is the dish you need to try with Japanese sake. You take a small bite – slowly – and enjoy sake. Take your time.
Interesting seafood you may find in hassun: shrimps, crabs, awabi (avalone), uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon roe), shirauo (Japanese icefish), hamaguri (Japanese clam), hamo (see eel), ayu (sweetfish), katsuo (bonito), ankimo (fish liver), karasumi (dried mullet roe), fugu (puffer fish) shirako (cod sperm sack…I know, but it’s it!)
Interesting vegetables and fruits you may find in hassun: renkon (lotus root), chestnuts, eggplants, satoimo (taro), nagaimo (Chinese yam), turnips, ginnan (ginkgo), matsutake (pine mushroom), nameko (nameko mushroom), myoga (Japanese myoga ginger), kiku (chrysanthemum), takenoko (bamboo shoots), junsai (water shield), soramame (fava beans), yurine (lily bulb), yuba (tofu skin)
