Wakasagi Nanbanzuke – Smelt in the Southern Barbarian Style (Crown Tournament Feast 2019)

Wakasagi Nanbanzuke
南蛮漬け（ワカサギ）
“Smelt in the Southern Barbarian Style”
Photo: Avelyn Grene (Kristen Lynn)

Update – August 19, 2025: Refreshed with additional historical context, clearer cooking notes, dietary tips, and FAQs.

Nanban—“southern barbarian”—was the Japanese word for the Portuguese who arrived in 1543. For nearly a century their foodways influenced Japan before foreign ships were banned in 1639. Wakasagi Nanbanzuke is one of those cultural crossroads. At its heart, it’s fried fish set into a vinegar marinade with onions and carrots—clearly adapted from Portuguese escabeche. Japanese cooks gave it a local identity, pairing it with river smelt, mackerel, or sardines and balancing the sharpness with kombu and soy. The result is something unmistakably Japanese, yet born out of that first century of European contact. 

I must admit, when I added this to the Crown Tournament 2019 feast, I was skeptical. Would people find the vinegar too assertive? Would tiny smelt be more fuss than fun? As it turned out, the dish never made its way back to the kitchen—platters came back empty, and more than one diner asked me afterward for the recipe. Smelt really is a perfect one- or two-bite fish, sturdy enough to stand up to the brine and light enough to keep people coming back for more.

Wakasagi Nanbanzuke (Southern Barbarian Smelt)

• 5 cm × 5 cm kombu (dried kelp)
• 4 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp usukuchi shoyu (light soy)
• 2 tsp sugar
• ½ dried red chili

• 1 small onion, sliced
• ⅛ cup carrot, sliced
• 6 small fish fillets (aji, mackerel, salmon, sardines, or smelt)
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp katakuriko or cornstarch
• Vegetable oil (for frying)

Method:
Soak the chili until soft; seed and slice thinly. Combine water, vinegar, soy, sugar, kombu, and chili to make the marinade; add onion and carrot. Pat fish dry, dust lightly with flour and starch, and fry over medium heat until golden. Drain well and slip the hot fish into the marinade. Rest at least 30 minutes (overnight is even better). Serve cool or at room temperature.

Dietary Notes 🥕

• Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy and swap flour for rice flour.
• Pescatarian-friendly: Works with sardines, aji, or salmon if smelt isn’t available.
• Make-ahead: Improves overnight but best eaten within 24 hours for texture.

FAQ

Can I use canned sardines?
Not really—they’re already cooked and oily, so they won’t hold the marinade. Fresh or frozen small fish work best.

What if I can’t find kombu?
Leave it out, or add a splash of dashi or even a pinch of seaweed flakes. The dish is forgiving.

Do I have to deep-fry?
No—shallow pan-frying works. Just aim for crisp edges to help the fish stand up to the vinegar soak.

Further Reading

• Makiko Itoh, “Nanban dishes are fit for a barbarian”
• Eric Rath, Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan, for more on Nanban cookery.
• See also: my forthcoming post on Kasutera & Pão-de-ló (Nanban sweets).

Related: More Japanese recipes • SCA Feast Planning • Period Techniques