みなさん、こんにちは！This article will explore the favourite foods by the characters in 鬼滅の刃 (Kimetsu No Yaiba / Demon Slayers).
If you read this article, you will find out the favourite foods of 炭治郎 (Tanjiro)、禰󠄀豆子 (Nezuko)、善逸 (Zenitsu)、伊之助 (Inosuke) and カナヲ (Kanao), and you will be able to order these characters’ favourite foods next time you visit a Japanese restaurant!
炭治郎 Tanjiro – タラの芽 Tara No Me
炭治郎 (Tanjiro) ‘s favourite food is タラの芽 (tara no me).タラの芽 (tara no me) refers to shoots of Aralia elata (Japanese angelica tree). They are often seen in mountains all over Japan. During a peak season (March to April) you can buy them from the supermarket in Japan.
タラの芽 (tara no me) is often eaten as tempura.
禰󠄀豆子 Nezuko – 金平糖 Konpeitō
金平糖 Konpeitō is Japanese sugar candy. The word 金平糖 (Konpeitō) was derived from a Portuguese word confeito, which is a type of sugar candy.
The technique for producing candy was introduced to Japan in the early 16th Century by Portuguese traders, but 金平糖(Konpeitō) was very rare and expensive then as the infrastructure and refining technology had not yet been established in Japan then. However, by the 大正 (Taishō) period in which 鬼滅の刃 takes place, 金平糖(Konpeitō) was one of the standards of Japanese sweets.
善逸 Zenitsu – うなぎ Eel
うなぎ refers to freshwater eel in Japanese. Don’t confuse with saltwater eel, which is called あなご.
うなぎ is generally cooked as kabayaki, a preparation method where the fish is split down the back (or belly), cut into square fillets, skewered and dipped in sweet soy sauce-based sauce before being cooked.
The kabayaki preparation method is different depending on the region. In Kanto, the eel is split down its back. As there used to be many samurai warriors in the Kanto region, splitting the belly is associated with 切腹 (Seppuku), a form of Japanese ritual suicide.
On the other hand, the Kansai area was known for marchants. As the Japanese expression *腹を割って話す suggests, it was important for them to communicate openly when they make any business deals. Therefore, in the Kansai area, the eel is split down the belly.
*腹を割って話す is an expression for ‘to speak everything on the table / to have a heart-to-heart talk’.
伊之助 Inosuke – 天ぷら Tempura
Ever since 伊之助 (Inosuke) ate 天ぷら at 藤の家 (Fuji no Ie / the house with the wisteria family crest), his favourtie food is 天ぷら. He loved this food so much that he gladly ate Tajiro’s share as well.
天ぷら refers to a dish usually consisting of seafood and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried.
天ぷら was introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century in Nagasaki, through the fritter-cooking techniques. Oil was rare and expensive then, therefore, the dish was mostly enjoyed by 大名 (Daimyō), the nobles. By the 江戸 (Edo) period, it became common by the commoners.
カナヲ Kanao – ラムネ Ramune
ラムネ refers to a Japanese carbonated soft drink. It’s known for its distinctive glass bottle whose mouth is sealed with a round marble due to the pressure of the contents. The word ラムネ was derived from lamonade.
ラムネ also refers to sugar candy. As the ラムネ drink used to be rather expensive, they made the sugar candy version to make it accessible to children.
まとめ – Summary
This article explained favourite foods by 鬼滅の刃. I hope you found this article helpful, and gained some cultural insight behind each food!
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