If you are decorating a small platter with little room for 3 dimensional patterns, you can still upgrade an ordinary slice of kamaboko fish cake by creating beautiful patterns on the top red skin itself. This pattern is known as Kamaboko Reins, or Tazuna手綱 in Japanese, which resemblance the narrow strap horse rein that has an interweaved braids.
Watch How to Make Kamaboko Reins
Two Japanese fish cakes (Kamaboko), seven beautiful designs! Make ordinary fish cake into decorative designs on this Oshogatu (Japanese New Year)!
Step 1: Remove kamaboko from the wooden board.
Step 2: Slice off the uneven edge on both ends.
Step 3: Cut red-skin kamaboko into a 1/2 inch (12 mm) slice.
Step 4: Trim the red-skin of the kamaboko two third of the way.
Step 5: Make a slit down the center of the red part.
Step 6: Pull the end of red part through the slit from the bottom.
Step 7: Pull out to the red part all the way to cover back the top. Now you have a fine ribbon detail that resemblance of horse rein on top of the kamaboko.
To learn about other beautiful designs of kamaboko (Japanese fish cake), click here.
