In rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) called 'su-dofu' (vinegar tofu), there is a scene in which people with too much free time gather for a drink and think about what kind of sakana to eat, saying, 'Sakana should be something inexpensive and abundant that everybody likes. It should be something pleasant to see that doesn't make one full. Furthermore, it should be healthy.'
落語の「酢豆腐」で、暇人連中が集まって酒を飲むのに何か肴を、というのでどんなものがいいかという段になって、「安くって数が有って誰の口にも合って、腹にたまんなくって見てくれが良くって、しかも衛生にいい」というくだりがある。