Tiny Monsters in Your Food -- Yes, this is a fad in Japan (Patreon)

Here is something wild I ran across and wanted to share. 

It all starts with tiny little fish called chirimenjako (チリメンジャコ). These are very young (usually) anchovies or sardines. They're boiled, salted, dried in the sun and packaged. People eat them with rice or on tofu or stirred into any soup or other recipe really. Very flexible and full of calcium and umami.

A big fad that I completely missed is called "chirimen monsters." 

First, below is some regular old chirimenjako. 

But sometimes if you look closely at your pile of chirimenjako...

...you'll find there are other wee beasties hiding in there as well. Because no one can possibly pick through all those tiny fish, so you get surprises! 

Or...monsters! 

Below is a chart of some of the other sea creatures that can end up in your delicious fish bounty. 

There are various baby fish, crabs, squid, octopi, shrimp, blowfish, starfish, and seahorses. 

This all started back in 2004 (!) when there was a science workshop in Osaka called "Chirimen Monsters" where people (children mostly) gathered to look through bowls of baby fish and pick out the ones that were different and try to identify them. It was a way to raise awareness of the various marine organisms and had the bent of teaching the importance of keeping and creating environments where marine life can safely lay eggs, give birth to, and safely raise their young in a protected area. 

The event was quite popular, the name stuck, and it took off nationwide. 

Now certain people all over Japan participate in their own Chirimen Monster Hunt right in the comfort of their dinning room. All you need is a package of chirimenjako, tweezers, and a magnifying glass. 

If you're a real enthusiast you can buy one of the BOOKS that have been published to help you identify what you find. BookS. Plural. 

Here's one: 

And here's another:

And one more: 

I'm not very learned on the subject, but I did watch a Youtube video and the guy was so excited to go through and identify each one, and super excited when he got a 'rare' monster. An octopus, evidently, is rare because it tends to stay lower to the bottom of the ocean where a squid will venture higher up. So you'll find more of them. 

I learned that. 

Thoughts? I guess they are entirely edible, too. So I assume they get eaten after they get found, appraised, photographed and squeed and/or Instagram reeled about. 

And because they are a 'thing,' someone made Line stamps of them. I don't buy stamps on apps, but darn-nit, aren't they just adorable?

I personally don't eat chirimenjako, but after learning all this, I'm intrigued and might pick up a container to see what I can find. A lucky starfish maybe?! Richard eats anything. Once I'm done searching, he can have them on rice with a little soy sauce. 

Except my starfish. No one's touching my lucky starfish I'm keeping it. 

XO, 

t