“Shimofuri” is a preparation technique in which ingredients such as meat, fish, and vegetables are briefly blanched in boiling water to remove scum and excess moisture, enhancing their ability to absorb flavors.
Historically, this method has been used since the Edo period. Originally, it referred to a technique in which fish was placed on a bamboo sieve, covered with a cloth, and doused with boiling water until the surface turned white.
The fish was then promptly cooled in cold water and wrapped in a cloth to remove excess moisture. Upon contact with boiling water, the skin of the fish slightly lifted, and the surface turned white in an instant, thereby reminding one of the first frost settling upon autumn leaves. This phenomenon inspired the name of this technique (Shimofuri literally means “frost settling” in Japanese). In contemporary usage, the term is not only used for the blanching of ingredients to whiten their surface but also extends to techniques such as “yakishimo” (searing the surface with fire instead of boiling water). In addition, it is used for the naming of marbled beef, called “shimofuri meat,” referring to the delicate streaks of fat resembling frost.
