In Japanese cuisine, nizakana dishes fall into the wider category of boiled foods collectively called nimono, which are traditionally a part of every meal except breakfast. Also known as nitsuke or sakana no nimono (lit. boiled fish), nizakana refers to any fish that is gently poached in a sweetened dashi stock which is typically flavored with either soy sauce or miso.

The first and the most important step for making the Japanese-style boiled fish is to do the so-called shimofuri, meaning to quickly blanch the ingredients before cooking them. This technique is used to subdue the strong natural aromas and flavors of fattier fish, but it also removes sliminess of the fish and prevents the broth from becoming cloudy.

The sweetened dashi stock is often flavored with mirin or sake, but also with vegetables such as green scallions, gobo root, shimeji mushrooms, and sliced ginger, whose freshness and zestiness marries well with all the strong and savory flavors, while the boldness of the soy sauce and the sweetness from sugar and mirin mask any possible fishiness, taking any nizakana dish to another level.