A Dictionary of Japanese Food. Richard Hosking

parched sesame. Sesame seeds are normally parched before use, a task that requires skill and attention to avoid overcooking.

      iriko いりこ 煎り子、 炒り子 small dried fish used for making dashi.

      irori いろり 囲炉裏、 炉 central hearth. The hearth was formerly a feature of Japanese houses in mountainous areas, and many still exist, especially in country restaurants, for nostalgic effect. Part of the dining-kitchen area of a house, the hearth was adjacent to the doma, the beaten-earth floor area for food preparation at the lower, ground level. Although some cooking was done at the irori, its main purposes were heating and drying. See also o-yaki, kiritanpo, and Appendix 3.

      isaki いさき 伊佐木、 伊佐幾 grunt Parapristipoma trilineatum. Found in the warmer western waters, this fish grows up to 40 cm in length. Best in summer, it makes good sashimi when very fresh. Otherwise, it is cooked as shioyaki or furai.

      ise ebi いせえび 伊勢海老 crawfish, Japanese spiny lobster Pan­ulirus japonicus. This crustacean can reach 35 cm, though is usually smaller, not least because the Japanese waters are becoming seriously depleted. It makes excellent but rather expensive sashimi, and is very good split in half and grilled.

      ishikarinabe いしかりなべ 石狩鍋 salmon hodgepodge. A famous nabemono of Hokkaido. Salmon, with both hard and soft roe, is cooked in a large pot of dashi with miso and various vegetables, tofu, and konnyaku. The diner adds a sprinkling of sanshō powder at the time of eating.