Is there anything more appetizing than a sheet of blue fish cake?
The folks at the Toyama prefecture based company Ikuji Kamaboko have been hard at work producing kamaboko since 1927. Often referred to as “fish cakes” in English, kamaboko is a staple of Japanese cuisine and instantly recognizable with its semi-cylindrical shape. However, Ikuji Kamaboko has completely changed up the somewhat boring look of kamaboko by turning it into something not all that dissimilar from construction paper.
Behold Toto Sheets
Made from the same pureed white fish used in normal kamaboko, Ikuji Kamaboko’s new product – called Toto Sheets – is an extremely thin (0.7-0.9 mm) sheet of colored kamaboko perfect for creating adorable and completely edible bento masterpieces. Each Toto Sheet measures roughly 17 cm (6.7 “) x 9 cm (3.5”) and comes in one of eight vibrant colors (orange, pink, blue, purple, light blue, yellow, green, and black).
Toto Sheets are made specifically for those looking to make those super cute bento known as dekoben (decorative bento) and kyaraben (character bento). Thanks to how thin each sheet is, it’s extremely easy to cut out the kinds of small pieces one needs when bringing to life a boxed lunch version of a cartoon character or cute animal.
Suddenly, making adorable bentos just got a whole lot easier
Interestingly, long before the creation of Toto Sheets people in Toyama were already eating a colorful version of kamaboko called makikamaboko. Literally meaning kamaboko roll, this local favorite is made by rolling up either rod or blue sheets of kamaboko into the tube-like shape of normal kamaboko. Due to their colorful nature, some people would use the sheets to decorate their bento and so Ikuji Kamaboko used this as their inspiration for Toto Sheets.
Makikamaboko, Toyama’s take on kamaboko
Toto Sheets are sold via Ikuji Kamaboko’s official website and their store in Toyama. Individual sheets cost 111 yen (120 with tax) and a pack of all eight colors costs 741 yen (800 with tax).
Source: PR Times via SoraNews24
Images: 富山の老舗かまぼこ会社が開発！お手軽にデコ弁やキャラ弁をカラフルにする便利な食材「ととしーと」(PR Times)
