“Summer bonito is so much better. It’s rich and fatty!”
I keep telling Moriyan that, but he just goes, “Hmm,” like he doesn’t really care.
See, summer bonito is different from spring bonito. The belly is full of fat. When it’s cut into thick slices, the fatty part hangs down all soft and glossy, almost like it has a little tail. Just looking at it tells you it’s going to be delicious.
My dad would come home from work still wearing his work clothes. They smelled a little like dirt, or maybe oil. Just… the smell of work.
Whenever he came home carrying summer bonito, he always looked a little happier than usual.
I think he was the one looking forward to dinner the most.
The flavors he loved slowly became the flavors I love too.
Maybe that’s how half of my taste in food was raised.
He always served it with thinly sliced new onions.
I’d dip both the onions and the bonito generously into ponzu, then eat it all in one bite.
“So good!”
The fresh smell and crunch of the onion, the rich fat from the bonito melting in your mouth, and the sweet, tangy ponzu bringing everything together.
To me, that’s one of the greatest meals of summer.
I still miss those big plates of summer bonito on our family table.
Back then, my secret rivals at dinner were my dad and my older sister.
The moment the plate was set down, I’d try to spot the fattiest belly pieces before anyone else and grab them first.
I guess I’ve been greedy about food since I was little. Haha.
When my mom had to work late, it felt like the three of us were secretly sharing a little luxury.
That silly feeling of, Hehe…, somehow made dinner taste even better.
Thinking about all of that, I walked past the bonito at the supermarket once…
…and then turned around and came back.
The moment I saw that beautiful fatty belly, all those summer memories came rushing back.
And somehow, my mouth remembered the taste too.
I wanted Moriyan to know how good it is.
I wanted us to share this little summer happiness from now on.
Summer bonito.
P.S.
I made sure to teach Moriyan the proper way to eat it.
I mix broccoli sprouts into the sliced onions for a little more color and a little more goodness.
Then put the onions and the bonito together into a small, deep dish of ponzu.
Not just a tiny dip.
No.
You have to plop the whole thing in.
Then eat it all in one bite.
Moriyan actually groaned at how good it was.
I was satisfied.
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