Shiokara (塩辛) lit. 'salty-spicy',^[1] is a food in Japanese cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera.^[2]

The raw viscera are mixed with about 10% salt, 30% malted rice, packed in a closed container, and fermented for up to a month. Shiokara is sold in glass or plastic containers.

The flavor is similar in saltiness and fishiness to that of European cured anchovies, but with a different texture. One of the best-known chinmi ("rare tastes"),^[3] it is quite strong and is considered something of an acquired taste even for the native Japanese palate.

It was a valuable protein in post-war Japan because food was scarce and it did not require refrigeration. It continued to be eaten as a condiment for rice and in bars.^[1]

One method of enjoying it is to consume the serving in one gulp and to follow it with a shot of straight whisky. Some bars in Japan specialize in shiokara.

Some types of shiokara

• Ika no shiokara—from cuttlefish "squid", the most common variety
• Hotaruika no shiokara—from firefly squid
• Katsuo no shiokara—from skipjack tuna
• Kaki no shiokara—from oyster
• Uni no shiokara—from sea urchin roe
• Ami no shiokara—from Mysidacea, a krill-like crustacean

Some shiokara types have special names:

• ganzuke ^[ja] — from fiddler crab
• konowata — from sea cucumber
• mefun — from chum salmon
• uruka (shiokara) ^[ja] — from ayu
• shuto — from skipjack tuna (katsuo)