As of April 2020, the Toyosu market will have 481 seafood wholesalers.
As of April 2020, the Toyosu market will have 481 seafood wholesalers, a decrease of 55 from two years ago, when the old Tsukiji market was still in operation. More specifically, it is down about 30% from 664 in 2014. As of June 2021, the demand for seafood from restaurants and other businesses has decreased significantly due to the new coronavirus, and the business conditions are worrisome. In case you are wondering, there were about 1,600 middle wholesalers in the Tsukiji market at its peak.
Nevertheless, the reason there are so many of them and they are all doing business in their own way is because they are all specialty stores. There are many types of seafood, such as tuna, fresh fish, shrimp, shellfish, and dried fish, which require specialization. Recently, seafood wholesalers have begun to offer other specialties in order to expand the scale of their business. In the old days, however, there were “Akamono-ya” (aka means “red” and mono means “fish”) that dealt only with tai, “Jomonoshi” (jo means “good quality”) for ryotei, “Kajiki-ya” for Kajiki (Marlin), and so on, all of which were divided into many different categories. Incidentally, “ya” is added after a product to indicate the store or occupation that handles that product.
“Komono-ya” refers to restaurants that specialize in sushi items and tempura ingredients. Sushi items are often small, such as Kohada, Kisu, Anago, Akagai, and Tako. That is why it is called Komono-ya. If there are small items, there are also big ones. Oomono-ya (Oo means Big) deals in tunas. Tuna is a big fish, and Oomono-ya is the name of the seafood wholesalers because they deal in tunas. There are about 200 tuna wholesalers in Toyosu, but only a few wholesalers sell only fresh bluefin tuna caught in the waters around Japan throughout the year. Fujita-suisan (藤田水産), which deals with Sukiyabashi Jiro, Hicho (樋長), which deals with Nishiazabu-Taku, Yamayuki (やま幸), which deals with Harutake, and Ishiji (石司), which deals with Takaichi-no-sushi are the most famous. Almost all Michelin and Gault & Millau-rated sushi restaurants purchase their raw tuna from these four wholesalers.
In summary, these words should be understood only by those who are related to the Toyosu market, and there is no need for pretentious names. In fact, these words are very clear.
Essentially, no fish cannot be processed into fish paste products using current food processing technology. However, it is important to have a stable supply of high-catch fish species, which are inexpensive, and whose meat is suitable for fish paste products. High-catch species such as sardine and Alaska pollack are the main raw material for mass-produced fish paste products. However, many of the fish paste products that are considered local specialties in Japan are originally produced using locally caught fish. Among fish paste products, fish species other than the most prolific are used when the flavor of the product varies depending on the fish used.
Now that you understand more, let’s continue with the explanation using Kamaboko (蒲鉾), the most widely used fish paste product, as an example. The preferred fish to be used as the raw materials for Kamaboko have strong Ashi, good Suwari and doesn’t Modori easily.
Ashi refers to the moderate resilience that Kamaboko has, with a crisp and crunchy texture, proving that it is a good product. In other words, strong Ashi means that the fish has adequate firmness. Types of fish with strong Ashi include Flyingfish, Japanese aulopus, Brushtooth lizardfish, Bartail flathead, Red seabream, Golden threadfin-bream, Silver croaker, Honnibe croaker, Grub fish, Spiny goby, Indo-Pacific blue marlin, Globefish and others. Generally, Shiromi fish are considered to be strong and Akami fish are considered to be weak, while freshwater fish and shrimp are considered to be weak for the most part.
Suwari refers to the ease of surimi hardening and depends not only on the difference in type of fish, but differences also occur due to temperature and pH of the surimi, freshness of the raw fish material and how the fish was killed. In other words, poor Suwari means that the fish doesn’t firm up easily. Fish well-known for having good Suwari start with Indo-Pacific blue marlin and also include Honnibe croaker, Flying fish, Brushtooth lizardfish, Grub fish, Red seabream, etc. Fish known to have poor Suwari included crucian carp, bonito monkfish, sardines, etc. Generally, fish that live in coldwater regions have better Suwari while fish that live in warm waters and freshwater fish have poor Suwari.
Modori or Hi-modori refers to the phenomenon of weakened elasticity when fish that were hardened through the Suwari process has been further heated. Modori depends on the type, freshness and season the raw material fish was caught. Fish that don’t succumb to Modori easily include Grub fish, Needlefish, Indo-Pacific blue marlin, Starspotted smooth-hound, Flathead gray mullet, Horse mackerel, etc. Fish known to succumb to Modori easily include sardine, leatherjacket, Honnibe croaker, Chub mackerel, Crucian carps, Japanese Spanish mackerel, etc. Surimi color is reflected in the finished product, so Shiromi fish with a white finish is generally preferred over Akami fish, which results in a darker finish. However, it is possible to create a white finish, even using Akami fish, with some extra work.
Because the unique flavor of the raw fish is lost during the Surimi production process, it is common to season the fish afterward, but some specialty products are produced in such a way that the flavor of the raw fish is not lost.
Until World War II, the production of fish paste products was not organized for mass production, and many factories had only a few craftsmen at most. Only locally caught fish were used as ingredients. Since there were no refrigeration facilities, the factories had to be closed during the summer months, when it was difficult to maintain quality.
After the war, when the bottom trawling fishery in the East China Sea started, raw fish such as Silver croaker, Yellow croaker, Large yellow croaker, Eellowback sea-bream, Nemipteridae, and Largehead hairtail came to be supplied cheaply and stably. Advances in cold storage technology and distribution networks have also made it possible to mechanize the production process and mass produce products.
As a result, the production of fish paste products continued to increase in both quality and quantity, and the demand could no longer be met by inshore raw fish alone. At this time, frozen surimi from Alaska pollack appeared on the market.
Frozen surimi is a raw material made by adding sugars such as sucrose and sorbitol, which prevent protein denaturation, and polyphosphate to surimi and then freezing and storing it. The basic technology for frozen surimi was developed at the Hokkaido Fisheries Experiment Station in 1960.
Frozen surimi can be classified into three categories: unsalted surimi, which has little protein denaturation during freezing; salted surimi, which can be commercialized with high ash content; and ground surimi, which is processed at a factory from raw fish.
The quality standards for the commercialized surimi are set by the National Frozen Fish Meat Association, and there are several grades of surimi in the Alaska pollack. Most of the frozen surimi produced are made from Alaska pollack, but due to a decrease in Alaska pollack production, Red seabream and Nemipteridae caught off the coast of Hong Kong have also been used as surimi raw materials.
Types of Fish paste products
Chikuwa
Chikuwa is Surimi wrapped around a bamboo stick and heated. The baked chikuwa is called yaki-chikuwa, and the steamed chikuwa is called shiro-tikuwa. Toyohashi-Chikuwa from Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, is especially famous. It is characterized by the fact that both ends are white and only the middle area is browned.
Date-maki
Date-maki is made by adding eggs and sugar to Surimi, rubbing to a foamy consistency, and then baking. Good quality is considered to be made with sharks as the raw material fish. Date-maki is known throughout Japan as a New Year’s product.
Yaki-kamaboko
Among the many types of kamaboko, yaki-kamaboko is the most common type of kamaboko in Japan. Historically, this method is the oldest.
Yaki-ita in the Kansai region is made from Daggertooth pike conger, Synodontidae, and Sciaenidae. In order to preserve the flavor of the ingredients, the process of soaking in water is shortened, and the surimi is steamed and hardened once before the surface is seared and browned.
Hanpen
Hanpen is made by adding yams to Surimi, making it foamy, and steaming it. It is characterized by the lack of ashi and a fluffy marshmallow-like texture. It is a fish paste product unique to the Kanto region, and the best fish paste products are those that use sharks as ingredients. It is one of the oldest fish paste products.
Kanikama
Kanikama is a fish paste product that has the texture, shape, color, and flavor of crab, just like crab meat. The raw material is not crab but fish surimi. The main ingredient is Alaska pollack, a white fish that has no peculiarities or odor. Other surimi such as golden threadfin-bream and largscaled saury are also used.
Mushi-kamaboko
Mushi-kamaboko was already being produced around the end of the Edo period. It is most commonly found in the Kanto area, with Odawara-kamaboko in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, being the most famous.
Odawara-kamaboko is mainly made from Sciaenidae and soaked in mineral-rich groundwater to produce a white, ashi-rich product. Odawara-kamaboko is also characterized by the abundance of Itatsuki-kamaboko.
Naruto-maki
Naruto-maki is made by coating the inside of white surimi with red-colored surimi, rolling it up in a bamboo screen, and steaming it. It is called this because the spiral pattern on the cross section is associated with the whirlpools of Naruto. It is used as a garnish for noodles and chirashi-sushi.
Sasa-kamaboko
Sasa-kamaboko is a type of yaki-kamabo. Sasa-kamaboko from Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, uses a mixture of Bastard halibut, Broadbanded thornyhead, and Nemipteridae as ingredients, shaped into a leaf shape, and grilled over charcoal.
Satsumaage
Satsumaage is a generic name for deep-fried surimi. The best products are made from Sciaenidae and Synodontidae. Some products from Kagoshima and Okinawa are made with brown sugar, which gives them a very sweet taste.
Hamo-ita
Hamo-ita is made from only daggertooth pike conger, steamed once, and then carefully baked. It is a specialty of Osaka.
John Dory (Matoudai) is benthopelagic coastal fish, found on the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, the coasts of Japan, and on the coasts of Europe.
What is John dory (Matoudai)?
John dory (Matoudai) is distributed south of Honshu, in the East China Sea, Indian Ocean, western Pacific, and western Atlantic. It is found in sandy mud at depths of about 100 m, either alone or in small groups. The body is oval, with a marked lateral flattening. It has a large blackish-brown circular crest with a white border in the center of its body. John dory is called “Saint Peter‘s fish” in Western countries and seems to be revered by Catholics. Its scientific name is Zeus faber Linnaeus,1758.
What does John dory (Matoudai) sushi taste like?
The flesh of John dory (Matoudai) is light and mild, but lacking in flavor, so it is eaten with a variety of flavors. It is very tasty as a poire or meuniere, as it goes well with butter. In France, it is very popular as a standard meuniere along with sole.
It is characterized by its strong umami taste, and its liver is known to be very tasty. Sashimi is served with liver soy sauce, and Nigiri may be served with Kobujime.
Since its season is from fall to winter, it covers the same period as filefish. In Tokyo, there is also farmed filefish, and the sushi chef will use the filefish that is distributed in a considerable amount. Sushi restaurants that deal directly with fishing ports on the Sea of Japan side seem to get it by chance, but you almost never see it at sushi restaurants in Tokyo.
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) lives in rocks close to the shore and look for seaweed to eat. It creates an unique, delicious flavor come with a strong sea smell and it taste out a little bit firm with slightly sweet.
What is Largescale blackfish (Mejina)?
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) is distributed throughout Japan south of southern Hokkaido, Taiwan, and the East China Sea. Its bodies are oval and flattened, and its body color is blackish purple. It is diurnal and forms schools, moving to deeper waters offshore as it grows.
It can grow up to 60 cm in length, but most of those on the market are about 40 cm in length. In summer, it feeds on animal food such as small shrimps, and in winter, it prefers vegetable food such as seaweed and nori, which means that the season is winter, as the fish’s smell of the sea disappears and it becomes fatty during the winter.
The name of this species in the Kansai region is “Gure,” and it is a popular rock-fishing target. Its scientific name is Girella punctata Gray, 1835.
What does Largescale blackfish (Mejina) sushi taste like?
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) is mildly oily and a delicious white meat fish. There is a layer of umami under the skin so we’d advise to serve seared or yubiki with the skin-on.
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) looks like red seabream (Tai), but are related to Japanese sea bass (Suzuki). The Kuromejina (Girella leonina (Richardson,1846)) and Okinamejina (Girella mezina Jordan & Starks, 1907) are members of the Mejina family, but the Mejina has the best taste.
It can be served as sashimi, grilled, simmered, or even cooked in a pot. It is relatively easy to cook because it is well suited to cooking methods that use oil. If the gall bladder is accidentally broken, a strong odor can be passed around in the air, which can make it smell even worse. Therefore, it is important to avoid damaging the internal organs when cooking it.
It is inexpensive, but because it is not caught in large numbers, it is not always available at sushi restaurants. Its flesh is a beautiful pale pink color, which is hard to imagine from the black body surface.
In winter, it has a stronger taste than red seabream, with the fat coming in closer to the mouth and a stronger umami. In the summer, it can have a slightly peculiar aroma, so it is best to yubiki (parboil) or broil the fish before serving it as nigiri sushi.
The slender sprat is valued as food in Japan, where it is known as kibinago. These can be eaten raw, as sashimi, or cooked, as whitebait.
What is Slender sprat (Kibinago)?
Slender sprat (Kibinago) is distributed south of central Honshu, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. They are found in large schools on the surface from the coast facing the open sea to offshore. Its body length is 8~10 cm. It has an elongated body shape like Japanese anchovy at first glance, and is yellowish-white overall, with a bluish back and one bright silvery-white longitudinal stripe on the body. The season is summer. In the Satsuma region of Kyushu, it is highly prized as a local dish, and sashimi, arranged in the shape of chrysanthemum flowers, is famous. In Kagoshima, it is often served with vinegared miso. The scientific name is Spratelloides gracilis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846).
What does Slender sprat (Kibinago) sushi taste like?
Several fillets of kibinago are placed on top of the shari, and a shiso leaf is placed between the shari and the fish. A dab of grated ginger and some nikiri shoyu is then applied.
Slender sprat (Kibinago) cannot adapt to environmental changes. They need clean underwater to survive. Even in well-equipped aquariums, there are no examples of successful long-term breeding. In addition, their freshness deteriorates very quickly after death, so in the past, only people at fishing ports were able to eat them as sashimi.
When made into nigiri sushi, the fish is eaten with several pieces of hand-opened neta (topping). It is rich in flavor and uses scallions and ginger as condiments. This nigiri sushi should be paired with Satsuma shochu, a local specialty.
Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) is distributed north of Toyama Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side, north of Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific side, east coast of the Korean Peninsula, and Peter the Great Gulf. It inhabits shallow muddy areas at depths of about 150 meters. Body color is light blackish brown, and length reaches 40 cm.
The head is triangular in shape, and the body surface is angular, covered with spiny bony plates, and nearly octagonal in cross-section. It has a beard like a catfish. The male’s fins are exceptionally large, hence the name Tokubire (Toku means special and bire means fin), while sushi chefs call it Hakkaku (Hakkaku means octagonal) because of the shape of its cross-section. The season is around from December to February. The scientific name is Podothecus sachi (Jordan & Snyder, 1901).
What does Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) sushi taste like?
Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) is a chewy white fish with the perfect amount of sweet fat and rich flavor.
Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) is not well-known south of the Tohoku region, but it is popular as sushi material at sushi restaurants in Hokkaido. Contrary to its appearance, it is a fatty white fish with a crunchy texture and a rich flavor and sweetness of fat that spreads in the mouth. Usually the white meat is clear, but its flesh is murky white due to the presence of lots of fat. Also, males are larger and have more fat.
However, because of this shape, the yield rate is quite low. Because there are so few of them in Hokkaido, even many Hokkaido residents know of them but have never eaten them, so they are almost never available at sushi restaurants in Tokyo.
You can find Hakkaku at Izakaya because it can be prepared any way you like: “salt-grilled,” “dried overnight,” or “deep-fried.”
Black scraper is a filefish with high market value but the standing stock has been decreased in the past years due to the overexploiting and environmental fluctuations.
What is Black scraper (Umazurahagi)?
Black scraper (Umazurahagi) is distributed in the Sea of Japan from Hokkaido to Kyushu, the Pacific Ocean, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea from the Korean Peninsula to the coast of China. It is a familiar fish caught throughout Japan. Umazurahagi are called nagahagi (naga means long) because they are longer than Filefish (Kawahagi).
They are abundant at depths of around 10m, slightly offshore from Filefish. When young, around 10 cm in length, they migrate in schools, but as adults, they are often found alone. Adults gather in coastal areas to spawn from around May to July and dive to deeper water around November.
They are omnivores, feeding on benthic organisms such as seaweeds, crustaceans, polychaetes, and even jellyfish. Its scientific name is Thamnaconus modestus (Gunther,1877).
What does Black scraper (Umazurahagi) sushi taste like?
Black scraper (Umazurahagi)’s white flesh has an elegant sweetness and a crunchy, pufferfish-like texture.
Black scraper (Umazurahagi) has a blurry appearance and does not look tasty, but once peeled, it reveals a clear white flesh similar to that of pufferfish.
The price of Umazurahagi is completely different between those caught in large quantities by bottom trawling fishing and those caught by pole and line fishing. Therefore, Ikejime or live fish are used for sushi toppings.
The liver, with its rich flavor, can be raw or seared and used in nigiri sushi to make an exceptional dish. Although it is looked down upon compared to Filefish and pufferfish, it is relatively affordable and highly regarded as a topping, and is not a substitute for Filefish at all.
However, the quantity of fish received at the Toyosu market and other markets is not stable. From that point of view, few restaurants offer nigiri sushi.
Sappa (Japanese scaled sardine) and kohada (Gizzard shad) are similar, but the dorsal fins of the sappa are not thread-like and there is no black dotted line on the body side.
What is Japanese scaled sardine (Mamakari)?
Japanese scaled sardine (Mamakari) is distributed south of Hokkaido, the Yellow Sea, and Taiwan. It inhabits shallow sandy muddy areas near the mouths of estuaries in inner bays. Its standard Japanese name is Sappa, and its length reaches 15 cm. Juvenile fish can be caught in large numbers in small fixed nets, but It has little market value and are treated as small fish.
The morphology and ecology of this species are similar to that of the Gizzard shad (Konoshiro) throughout the egg, juvenile, and young stages, but the adult fish clearly differ in body color and dorsal fin shape. In Japanese scaled sardine, the blue on the dorsal side and the white on the ventral side are clearly separated and vivid. Its scientific name is Sardinella zunasi (Bleeker, 1854).
What does Japanese scaled sardine (Mamakari) sushi taste like?
Mamakari nigiri sushi is an indispensable dish for festivals and family celebrations, and is a representative dish of the special days in Okayama.
In Okayama, Japanese scaled sardine, a close relative of gizzard shad, is called Mamakari and is highly prized. It is in season from fall to winter and is the finest Mamakari with fine texture and fat.
Fresh Mamakari nigiri sushi, lightly vinegared, has a unique Okayama flavor that is different from that of Gizzard shad (Kohada). One thing to note is that, as with other herring species, there are many small bones, so it is easier to eat them if they are pickled in vinegar. It can be said that it is a dish that refreshes the palate and whets the appetite.
Small marbled rockfish (Kasago) are best deep-fried or simmered, while good-sized ones are also tasty as sashimi.
What is Marbled rockfish (Kasago)?
Marbled rockfish (Kasago) can be found anywhere along the coast from southern Hokkaido to the East China Sea. It lives in the shadows of reefs and blocks from the coast to depths of about 60m to 200m. A voracious carnivorous fish, it preys on crustaceans such as small shrimps, polychaetes such as ragworm, and small fish such as gobies.
Body color varies from dark brown, reddish, to blackish, and there is a great deal of variation depending on the environment in which they live. Those that inhabit deeper water are said to be redder, while those that inhabit shallower water are said to be darker. Another characteristic of this species is the irregular white patches on its back side.
Along with Mebaru and Ainame, it is a representative of rockfish (It is a fish that does not migrate far and has a small habitat). It is about 30 cm long. Its scientific name is Sebastiscus marmoratus (Cuvier, 1829).
Some species of marbled rockfish have poison lines on their pectoral fins and dorsal fins, so care should be taken when cooking them. Also, since they have many spines all over their body, when grabbing a live fish, put your thumb in their mouth and grasp their lower jaw.
It is generally considered a winter fish, but the season is spring. It is most fatty from January to April, and the black ones that inhabit the seashore are said to be tastier than the reddish marbled rockfish that inhabit offshore waters. It can be caught in all regions of the Japanese archipelago, which stretches from north to south, a light white fish that is easy to remove from the bone, so it is delicious regardless of the season. The larger ones are often made into sashimi or sushi, while the smaller ones are often eaten as boiled fish.
What is Marbled rockfish (Kasago) sushi taste like?
Marbled rockfish (Kasago) is a low-yield fish and is not commonly found in sushi restaurants.
Marbled rockfish (Kasago) is treated as a high-end fish in the Toyosu market, but the supply is not consistent. In addition, its large head and low yield make it rare for restaurants to serve nigiri sushi and sashimi.
The elegant flavor of nigiri sushi and sashimi is, to put it mildly, unsatisfying. The best way to eat nigiri is to broil the skin and let the aroma come out. This will dissolve the gelatinous material under the skin, and the sweetness and umami of the fat can be felt gradually. It is also good to eat it with citrus fruits such as sudachi and salt.
Rockfish (Mebaru) is one of the primary fish found in the coastal waters of Japan. Characterized by their large bulged eyes, rockfish are highly prized species. There are a variety of types of rockfish (mebaru) in Japan.
What is Rockfish (Mebaru)?
Rockfish (Mebaru) are distributed over a relatively wide area from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu, the Korean Peninsula, and elsewhere. They inhabit rocky reefs at depths of 50 to 150 meters. The length of the fish is 20-25 cm.
The fish is caught by pole-and-line and longline fishing starting around March, and becomes fat and oily by April when the water temperature begins to rise. Anglers are most likely to catch Kuro-mebaru. They are mainly eaten simmered or grilled.
However, the fish is poisonous in its dorsal fin, so it is important to be very careful when handling it. Because it is a very small amount of poison, it is a cause that is neglected, but there are times when serious symptoms appear.
What does Goldeye rockfish (Usumebaru) sushi taste like?
Sushi chefs use a species called Goldeye rockfish (Usumebaru), which is found in deeper waters offshore. The maximum length of the fish is 35 cm. The main production areas are Aomori and Yamagata prefectures.
Goldeye rockfish is a member of the scorpionfish family, but it is less fishy than scorpionfish and has a very light flavor with firm flesh. It has little fat and a light aftertaste, making it a good pairing with sushi rice. When served as nigiri sushi, it is also good to use Kobujime. Although the market availability is stable, it is traded at a high price.
In academic terms, “fermentation” is a reaction that uses no oxygen to break down carbohydrates to obtain energy. On the other hand, the reaction that uses oxygen to break down organic matter to obtain energy is called “respiration”.
In more familiar terms, microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria, koji-mold, and yeast break down organic compounds such as carbohydrates and proteins to produce a variety of by-products to obtain energy in their own life activities. Among these, “fermentation” is a phenomenon in which beneficial substances are produced for humans, while “putrefaction” is a phenomenon in which harmful substances are produced for humans. Food spoilage can be detected by the five senses, such as smell, appearance, and taste.
What is the difference between fermentation and maturing?
While “fermentation” and “putrefaction” are caused by microorganisms, “maturing” is a process in which the food itself is transformed by enzymes and other substances to produce something beneficial to humans. Or, “maturing” is the process of improving the flavor and quality of food by allowing it to rest under controlled temperature and humidity after fermentation is complete. Maturing is said to be beneficial to humans because it changes the texture and taste of the fish, making it tastier.
In case you are wondering, “enzyme” is mainly composed of protein, which promotes chemical reactions such as digestion, absorption, and metabolism that are necessary for all living things, including humans, animals, and plants, to survive. It is said that there are approximately 5,000 enzymes in our body, but each enzyme is a specialist that performs only one function and is largely divided into “Digestive enzymes” and “Metabolic enzymes.
Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) is large flat fish inhabiting cold sea water basins in the northern Pacific off Japan. It is suitable for aquaculture and resource enhancement in Hokkaido due to its high commercial value and growth rate at low temperatures.
What is Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei)?
Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) is distributed along the Pacific coast north of Ibaraki Prefecture and in the Sea of Japan north of Toyama Prefecture, the southern Sea of Okhotsk, and the Kurile Islands. It inhabits sandy muddy areas at depths of up to 200 m, feeding mainly on crustaceans and small fishes. The maximum length of the body is 80 cm.
It is similar in appearance to the closely related Spotted halibut, but the Barfin flounder has banded black spots on its fins, while the Spotted halibut has circular ones. The name ” Matsukawagarei ” is said to come from its scales, which are hard and resemble the epidermis of a pine tree. Barfin flounder is now very rare in the wild, and most of the fish caught are released juveniles. This is based on the habit of flounder species to remain in the waters where they are released. The main production areas are Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, and the season is winter. The scientific name isVerasper moseri Jordan & Gilbert, 1898.
What does Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) sushi taste like?
The standard Japanese name is Matsukawa, not Matsukawagarei.
Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) tastes better in larger sizes, and the males are tastier than the females. Its flesh is firm, and when fresh, it tastes better when thinly sliced. The umami increases after about two days of maturing, as is the case with other flounders.
Barfin flounder, along with spotted halibut, is a high-end fish, and if asked which is more delicious, barfin flounder or spotted halibut, most people would probably say spotted halibut. However, the reason may be that they are not familiar with Barfin flounder. As proof of this, you will almost never see it at high-end sushi restaurants in Tokyo, but it is not that uncommon at high-end restaurants in Sapporo.
Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) is a very tasty fish. In the Kansai region, it is such a high-class fish that it is served at Kyoto’s top-class ryotei restaurants, and if fresh, sashimi is said to be superb.
What is Silver pomfret (Managatsuo)?
Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) is distributed in a wide range of waters from Hokkaido to the southern Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, the Seto Inland Sea, the Ariake Sea and other seas around Japan to the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
They feed on crustaceans such as jellyfish and krill as well as plankton while migrating in schools to sandy muddy bottoms on continental shelves at depths of around 200 m or in the surface layer not far from the coast.
The name “Managatsuo” might lead you to think that it is a member of the Katsuo family, but it is not at all, it is a member of the Ibdai family. Its name comes from the fact that Katsuo could not be caught in the Seto Inland Sea, so this species was called Katsuo. So, it is said that the name was derived from “mane katsuo,” which imitated katsuo.
It is also said that there is no salmon in the Kansai region and no Managatsuo in the Kanto region. In the Kanto region, it is a rare fish, but in the Chubu region and west, especially in the Kansai region, it is a high-class fish that is often used in ryotei and kappo restaurants. It is also used in French and Chinese cuisine, so it is familiar to a wide variety of chefs.
What does Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) sushi taste like?
The royal road to eat in sashimi is the Silver pomfret (Managatsuo), the broiled only the skin using a burner, while confining the umami in the subcutaneous fat, also the fragrant flavor of the broiled skin.
Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) has a shiny body that looks like it has been stamped with silver foil, and the sashimi is superb, but this is only in Kansai where fresh fish is available.
The flesh is shiromi, soft and smooth, with little fat and a light flavor. Not only sashimi, but saikyo-zuke (fish pickled in sweet Kyoto-style miso) is also an excellent dish. Also, it can be frozen and preserved while it is still fresh, as it does not lose its flavor when frozen compared to other fish.
Silver pomfret has 70.8 grams of water per 100 grams, more than Japanese spanish mackerel (Sawara), a typical watery fish. This is a fish that, in the past, would not be suitable for nigiri sushi at all. Besides, fresh ones are difficult to obtain in the Kanto region, so sushi topping is almost never offered at Edomae sushi restaurants. But when it is made into shiojime and the moisture is controlled, it is a first-class sushi topping.
Recently, young sushi chefs in Tokyo have discovered its deliciousness and have begun to make it. This sushi topping goes well with shari made with red vinegar, which contains a lot of amino acids. In any case, sushi topping is rare, so if you can find it, you should definitely try it.
Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari) was not often on the dinner table as a small fish in the past, but it seems that modern tastes have gradually caught up with it because of its lightness and abundant fat content characteristic of white fish.
What is Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari)?
Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari) is distributed south of Sagami Bay to the East China Sea. They live in groups on continental shelf slopes at depths of 200 to 600 meters. Mehikari (standard Japanese name is Aome-eso) with large, striking green eyes are about 20 cm long. Its body is elongated and cylindrical, and it has an issuer around its anus, where bacteria living symbiotically inside emit light. The season is winter, and the main production areas are Fukushima, Shizuoka, Miyazaki and Aichi prefectures.
What does Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari) sushi taste like?
Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari), despite its appearance, is a delicious fish with light white flesh and a fluffy texture. However, since it is caught by bottom trawl fishing, it is only available for sashimi within two days of being caught, and the amount of fresh fish in distribution is rather small. Therefore, it is difficult to eat nigiri sushi outside of the area where it is caught. The sushi topping is a specialty of Sushi Itou in Iwaki City.
Flying fish (Tobiuo) can be seen jumping out of warm ocean waters worldwide. It is thought to have evolved this remarkable gliding ability to escape predators, of which they have many. Their pursuers include mackerel, tuna, swordfish, marlin, and other larger fish.
What is Flying fish (Tobiuo)?
Flying fish (Tobiuo) is distributed in warm seas south of central Honshu and around Taiwan, living in the surface layer from the coast to offshore. Its body length is about 30 cm. Its body is long and slender, and its pectoral fins are large and wing-like, used for flying above the sea surface.
It migrates northward from southern Japan in the spring with rising water temperatures and southward in the autumn with falling water temperatures. Flying fish usually migrate near the surface of the ocean in schools, reaching speeds of 35 km/h on the surface and 55 km/h in the air, depending on the species and size of the flying fish. They also glide like gliders at a height of 4 to 5 meters and a distance of 100 to 500 meters in a single flight.
The name Tobiuo (Flying fish) is used as a generic name for the Exocoetidae, but the Narrowtongue flyingfish, which is typical of the waters around Japan, is distinguished by the name Hon-tobi. It is 30 to 35 cm in length and migrate northward in schools on the Kuroshio Current, approaching the coast from April to July to spawn. Another representative Tobiuo is the slightly smaller Dark-edged-winged flyingfish (Hoso-tobi), also known as Maru-tobi or Nyubai-tobi. The scientific name is Cypselurus agoo (Temminck and Schlegel, 1846).
What does Flying fish (Tobiuo) sushi taste like?
Flying fish (Tobiuo) is fresh if it has a shiny surface and shiny blue-black back, and if its eyes are clear. The freshness of the flying fish is also assured by the fact that its digestive tract is small and the food it eats is immediately expelled from the digestive tract. Fresh fish is the best choice for sashimi. The flesh is slightly soft, not too watery, light, and has no peculiar taste. However, sushi topping is not generally used for Edomae sushi.
Ago-dashi has a refined taste and flavor. It is used in various dishes ranging from miso soup to simmered dishes. Especially it goes well with Ramen (noodles).
Flying fish is also called “Ago” in Japanese. “Ago” is the dialect around Nagasaki. Flying fish, which contains less fat than other fish, is dried and used as dashi (fish stock). Dashi of dried flying fish is called “Ago-dashi”. This is one of the highest-quality dashi.
