Tsukudani Toppings For Rice
The term tsukudani encompasses a wide range of side dishes and rice toppings that have one thing in common: the ingredients are all prepared by simmering or boiling in soy sauce and mirin. Mirin is a Japanese "rice wine" (that is, an alcoholic liquid made by fermenting rice) with a low alcohol and high sugar content. Mirin is widely used in Japanese cooking.
The various types of tsukudani are then defined by their ingredients. The most common range from kombu (kelp) to nori and other seaweed to small fish like smelt and sand lance to small clams to various types of shredded vegetables to thinly sliced beef. There is even tsukudani made of grasshoppers. Yes, grasshoppers can be absolutely delicious and make for a crispy tsukudani.