Tatsukuri | a baby sardine

is symbolic of a good harvest also in that the dish is also called 'gomame' which literally translates to '50,000 grains of rice' because the sardine fertilizer turns into rice.

Translated directly into English,'tatsukuri'(dried, sweetened baby sardines)'means rice farming. But what does sardines have to do with grains'and agriculture? Well, a long time ago Japanese farmers used dried sardines as a fertilizer for their rice fields. Its other name,'gomame, literally means '50,000 grains of rice' and derives from the fact that sardine fertilizer produced a great harvest of rice. Since then, tatsukuri has been considered as a symbol of good harvest for the next year.

is symbolic of a good harvest. The dish translates to 'rice farming' and reflects the tradition of using sardines as fertilizer in rice fields.

tatsukuri a baby sardine, n.Definitions

tatsukuri a baby sardine