Obiten
What is Obi-ten?
Obiten
Obi-ten (Obi-ten) is a local dish made by mixing fish paste with tofu, brown sugar, miso and soy sauce, shaping it and deep frying it in rapeseed oil. It is a type of fish paste product. Also known as “tempura” in Kyushu, it is a type of deep-fried Kamaboko, made by frying fish paste in oil.
It has been eaten in the Nichinan area centred on Obi in Miyazaki Prefecture since the Edo period and is known as Obi’s local gourmet food and local cuisine.
Obi-ten is also called Obi tempura, Obi aburage and bibiten.
It is made from sardines, horse mackerel, mackerel, flying fish, Japanese dolphinfish and Spanish mackerel. Variations include those with an egg inside, and those with takana, kikurage, red ginger, burdock root (obiage) and other ingredients. They can be purchased at speciality shops, local supermarkets and roadside stations, and are also sold online.
