Tai Somen

Tai somen simmers a whole salt-cured sea bream sweet and savory, then plates it on a large dish together with boiled somen noodles — a traditional dish that caps off a wedding feast. The noodles, soaked in the fish's flavor, and the carefully simmered fish, kept intact without falling apart, come together into a dish festive enough for a celebration. In some areas, such as Takuma, the fish is grilled rather than simmered before plating, and pink or purple-dyed noodles are sometimes used, so the presentation varies by region.

The salt-cured sea bream goes into a large pot with soy sauce, sugar, and sake, and is simmered gently for about thirty minutes so it doesn't fall apart. It's plated on a large dish and topped with boiled somen noodles poured over it. In some areas the fish is grilled whole before being plated with the noodles instead. Shredded egg crepe or decoratively cut vegetables are sometimes added for extra color, and filling the whole platter with fish and noodles is part of what gives the dish its celebratory scale.

At wedding banquets, tai somen is said to have been set on a low table and carried in by two people rocking the table back and forth in time with the Sanuki Ise-ondo song, a piece of theater that appears to have developed as part of the celebration itself. It's also said to have been served at roof-raising ceremonies and boat launchings, and records show that a version of the dish already appeared on samurai household menus in the Edo period, well before it spread more widely as a wedding staple from the Meiji era on.