Kamijio

The term Kamijio refers in Japanese cuisine to a specific technique for salting foods, especially fish and seafood. Rather than sprinkling salt directly onto the ingredients, they are wrapped in or covered with moistened Japanese paper (washi), and the salt is then sprinkled onto the paper.

This method allows the salt to dissolve in the damp paper, ensuring even seasoning. It also prevents discoloration and excessive drying, both of which can result from direct contact with salt. The delicate texture of the ingredients is preserved, while excess fat is absorbed by the paper. The result is a milder saltiness that highlights the food’s natural flavors.

The term Kamijio may also be written or pronounced as Kamishio. In Japanese, the word is composed of the kanji kami 紙, meaning “paper,” and shio 塩, meaning “salt.” Because of phonological rules such as rendaku 連濁, in which the initial consonant of the second word becomes voiced, the pronunciation of “shio” can shift to “jio.” This is why “kami-shio” is pronounced “kamijio.” Both spellings and pronunciations refer to the same technique and are used according to preference.