Those of you who know Tatami as a reed mat used in formal Japanese settings in place of regular more common flooring such as wood. But I am not speaking of these tatami, I am referring to Tatami Iwashi, those tucked away in the photo above on the left side.

This is a Japanese dried food product made from shirasu, or small infant sardines used to flavor the broth of this noodle dish.

They are dried while entwined in a single layer to form a large mat-like sheet. Typically, this is done by drying them in the sun and then they are added to soups, or eaten dried as a snack to accompany an beer, sake or whiskey. In this case just a simple preparation.