The main dish today is grilled salted mackerel. For side dishes, we chose hiyayakko (chilled tofu) topped with plenty of condiments (including green onions, Japanese ginger, and Japanese shiso herbs), and lightly pickled cucumbers.

These are healthy, traditional Japanese menu items. They say that selenium, found in abundance in mackerels, has antioxidative effects, and is believed to have an impact on cancer prevention and anti-aging.

As always, for this menu, we will use the versatile Santoku Knife. Santoku can be used to clean fish like an expert, especially if they are the size typically eaten in homes. Of course, prepping the vegetables for the side dishes can be handled skillfully by the same knife, too.