What is "hanpen"

is a white, square, triangle or round surimi product with a soft, mild taste. It is believed to have been invented during the Edo period in Japan by a chef, of Suruga, and the dish is named after him. Another theory suggests that because it is triangle shaped and appears to have been cut in half from a square, it is a . It can be eaten as an ingredient in oden or soup. It can also be fried or broiled.

In Shizuoka Prefecture, whole sardines are used, and the resulting product has a bluish-gray color. This is called kuro hanpen ( 黒はんぺん), literally "black hanpen".

Hanpen is made from grated- Japanese mountain yam, surimied- Alaska pollock, salt, seaweed- stock ( kombu- dashi).