Editing Kamaboko (section)

==Production and uses==
{{transliteration|ja|Kamaboko}} is made by forming various [[Purée|pureed]] deboned [[whitefish (fisheries term)|white fish]] with either natural or man-made additives and flavorings into distinctive loaves, which are then steamed until fully cooked and firm. These are sliced and either served unheated (or chilled) with various dipping sauces, or added to various hot soups, rice, or noodle dishes. {{transliteration|ja|Kamaboko}} is often sold in semicylindrical loaves, some featuring artistic patterns, such as the pink spiral on each slice of {{transliteration|ja|[[narutomaki]]}}, named after [[Naruto whirlpools|the well-known tidal whirlpool]] near the Japanese city of [[Naruto, Tokushima|Naruto]].{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

[[File:Medieval Kamaboko.jpg|thumb|A model of a 12th-century meal including the earliest known example of kamaboko.]]

There is no precise English translation for {{transliteration|ja|kamaboko}}. Rough equivalents are ''[[fish paste]]'', ''[[fish loaf]]'', ''[[fish cake]]'', and ''[[fish sausage]]''.<ref name="tsuji">{{cite book |last1=Tsuji |first1=Shizuo |title=Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art |url=https://archive.org/details/japanesecookings00tsuj |url-access=registration |date=1980 |publisher=Kodansha International |location=New York |page=69 |isbn=978-0-87011-399-4 |quote=In English it is variously called fish cake, fish loaf, fish paste, and fish sausage. None of these terms is really accurate. As with many different foods, the foreign word is the best to use.}}</ref> {{ill|Shizuo Tsuji|ja|辻静雄}}, chef and author, recommends using the Japanese name in English,<ref name="tsuji" /> similar to English usage of the word ''[[sushi]]''. {{transliteration|ja|Kamaboko}} has been made in Japan since the 14th century and is now available nearly worldwide. The simulated crab meat product {{transliteration|ja|[[crab stick|kanikama]]}} (short for {{transliteration|ja|kani-kamaboko}}) is the best-known form of {{transliteration|ja|surimi}} in the West.

Red-skinned and white {{transliteration|ja|kamaboko}} are typically served at celebratory and holiday meals, as red and white are considered to bring good luck. In Japan, the prepackaged snack {{transliteration|ja|chiikama}} (cheese plus {{transliteration|ja|kamaboko}}) is commonly sold in convenience stores. In the city of [[Uwajima]], a type of fried {{transliteration|ja|kamaboko}} called {{transliteration|ja|[[jakoten]]}} is popular. In [[Miyagi Prefecture]], {{Nihongo||笹かまぼこ|[[sasa-kamaboko]]}} is a regional {{transliteration|ja|kamaboko}} variation, pale white in colour, formed in the shape of bamboo leaves and often lightly grilled immediately prior to serving.