Shiokara

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Shiokara (塩辛) is a food in Japanese and Korean cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of the animal's meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera. The raw viscera are mixed with about 10% salt, 30% malted rice, packed in a closed container, and fermented for up to a month. Shiokara is sold in glass or plastic containers.

The flavor is quite strong and is considered something of an acquired taste even for the native Japanese palate. The taste of shiokara lingers in the mouth. One method of enjoying it is to consume the serving at one gulp and to follow it with a shot of straight whisky. Some bars in Japan specialize in shiokara.

Foods that contain no vinegared rice, such as shiokara, are not considered by the Japanese to be a kind of sushi.

In Korea, shiokara is known as chotkal (젓갈) or chot (젓). A small amount of chot made from anchovies or shrimps is often used in the making of kimchi.