The name “Three Sardines” comes from a previously-untold true family story. Masa's grandparents used to feed three dried sardines to their children every night before dinner in the 1930s. Masa's aunt recalled the salty appetizer, smiling while reminiscing, "We loathed the bitter taste of the fish. I am 90 now and thank God I am still healthy. Maybe because of niboshi (dried sardine in Japanese)? I don't know, but I can forgive my parents now."
Masa's aunt could not share the story without shedding tears, and he had never seen her cry before. It turns out that the three sardines appetizer was actually part of a much longer story about how Masa's family was able to survive during WWII.
