What’s pink and swirly and processed all over? If it’s floating atop a bowl of ramen, it’s probably a slice of narutomaki, the iconic Japanese fishcake.
Inspired by whirlpools in the Naruto Strait, these chewy, bouncy slices represent a formidable natural phenomenon. The swirl in the center of each piece is emblematic of the spiraling ocean water that formspools between Shikoku and Awaji Island every six hours or so. Located along the Shikoku coast, the whirlpools are visible for an hour or two at a time. While it’s best to visit the whirlpools in the spring or summer, when the waters are more intense, narutomaki can be enjoyed year-round.
This processed roll is primarily made of frozen surimi(processed, pureed whitefish), while the pink swirl comes from food coloring.Invented in the 1800s and prepared by slicing and steaming, narutomakihas a history of gracing traditional noodle soups, such as ramen and soba.
The pink-spiraled slice is a striking visual atop Japanese ramen, but noodles aren’t the only platform showcasing the fish cake. Over a dozen styles of narutomaki emoji exist across services such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, and Microsoft. The narutomaki icon joined Unicode 6.0 in 2010 under the name “Fish Cake With Swirl.”Admittedly, the sweet, fishy taste and buoyant mouthfeel of fishcake isn’t universally popular. However, anyone with a keyboard can reap the benefits of narutomaki’s global virtual presence. Just type the shortcode :fish_cake:
FAQs
Narutomaki — a delightful steamed fish paste cake — is a super popular topping for ramen that's absolutely worth trying if you haven't already.
What is 🍥 in ramen? ›
What's pink and swirly and processed all over? If it's floating atop a bowl of ramen, it's probably a slice of narutomaki, the iconic Japanese fishcake. Inspired by whirlpools in the Naruto Strait, these chewy, bouncy slices represent a formidable natural phenomenon.
What is the Japanese fishcake in ramen? ›
Narutomaki is a type of kamaboko, or Japanese fish cake, that features a pink swirl in the center. Its name likely comes from the naturally occurring Naruto whirlpools located in the Naruto Strait between Shikoku and Awaji Island in Japan.
Is Naruto named after Fishcake? ›
Japanese cuisine has several varieties of fish cakes, some of which have existed for 1,000 years or so. What we know as narutomaki is a bit more recent though. According to some sources, narutomaki was invented in the 1800's and named after the whirlpools in the Naruto Strait.
What is narutomaki made of? ›
Much like the imitation crab that's become popular in California rolls, narutomaki is made of fish that has been broken down into paste, colored with food dye, and then pressed into logs for slicing. Narutomaki's texture is also similar to imitation crab – soft and springy with an easy chew.
What does the 🍥 mean in Naruto? ›
Each cloud-shaped slice of naruto has a pink or red spiral pattern, which is meant to resemble the Naruto whirlpools in the Naruto Strait between Awaji Island and Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku Island in Japan. The word is also used as a slang term for the at sign "@". It is represented by the emoji 🍥.
What does the fishcake emoji mean? ›
The fish cake with swirl emoji represents a Narutomaki, a popular topping for the Asian noodle dish.
Is narutomaki healthy? ›
Yes! Because narutomaki is made from white fish, it contains a lot of high-quality protein and calcium. It's also low in calories and fat, so it's a great ingredient to add if you're trying to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
What is fishcake made of? ›
Fish cakes are made from ground fish and flour or starch that is formed into small loafs and then steamed or fried. Fish cakes are used in a variety of Japanese dishes such as soups and stews, appetizers and boxed lunches.
How do you eat Japanese fish cake? ›
Kamaboko (蒲鉾, かまぼこ), or Japanese fish cake, is a processed seafood product eaten in Japanese cuisine. It consists of pureed white fish paste (surimi すり身) that's steamed, grilled, or fried until cooked and firm. You can eat it as is, cut it into a beautiful pattern, or use it as a garnish.
Nutrition facts
White fish meat is high in protein and low in fat. Do note that kamaboko is somewhat high in sodium and sugar, so be careful not to overeat if monitoring salt or sugar levels.
What is the white pink thing in ramen? ›
Have you ever wondered what that cute pink and white spiral thing is that you see in some ramen noodle bowls? That would be Narutomaki. This traditional ramen topping is made by rolling red and white fish paste into a log, cooking it with steam, and cutting it into thin slices.
What does Uzumaki mean in English? ›
Uzumaki (うずまき, lit. 'Spiral') is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Junji Ito.
What is a 🍥 called? ›
fish cake (U+1f365)
The emoji 🍥 is a type of Japanese dumpling known as "age-manju." Age-manju are deep-fried buns filled with sweet red bean paste. This emoji is often used to represent Japanese cuisine, fried foods, or sweet treats. It can also be used to convey a desire for these types of foods.
Do you drink the broth in ramen? ›
After you've finished all the noodles and toppings, put down your chopsticks and spoon. With both hands, bring the bowl to your mouth and continue slurping, as though you are drinking a drink! The broth is not only the tastiest part of the dish, but it is also the part that is given the most effort and time to make.
What does fish cake taste like? ›
What do fish cakes taste like? Depending on any added ingredients, fish cakes taste, well, you guessed it: fishy. But typically not too fishy. Each variety has their own flavor profile, sure, but the base of each is fish, which will win out flavor-wise unless you're packing on the extracurricular sauces and such!
What is the pink white stuff in ramen? ›
Kamaboko
You might have noticed that ramen often comes with little pink and white pinwheels on top. These are naruto, one of the most popular types of kamaboko for a ramen topping. Kamaboko is a steamed fish cake made from surimi paste, which is a mix of different fishes, starches, egg white and seasonings.
What does narutomaki taste like? ›
Even though it's made from various seafood like shrimp and squid, narutomaki has a mildly fishy taste. It also has a stringy and chewy texture that goes well with the ramen noodles' already chewy texture. This is also the reason why it pairs up well with ramen noodles.
