In most cases, the toxic symptoms appear within one to two days and start with abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, etc., followed by blood spots on the skin and bleeding from the mouth and nose. Liver function also significantly decreases and the patient suffers from mental derangement. They then fall into a coma and die within a few days.
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Revision date: January 5, 2023
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Geso is not the name of a fish or shellfish.
Geso refers to the 10 arms/tentacles of a squid.
The reason squid arms came to be called “Geso” is that the shoes that are removed before entering the indoors in Japan are referred to as “Gesoku”. The name comes from a time when restaurants used to hold onto their customers geta (wooden clogs) and the cloak would tie them with a string in 10-pair units.
Geso can be lightly boiled or grilled. For large squid, a butcher knife is inserted at the tip of the arm to peel off the skin membrane, and then the tips of the arms are cut off so the sizes match. When Nitsume or other sauce is applied and it is made into Nigiri, it has an excellent springy texture and scent of the sea. It is also used as Tsumami when drinking alcohol. In my personal opinion, the Geso child of Sumiika is nice and soft and worlds above any others.
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Revision date: July 2, 2024
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In this case, Kiseki (懐石) means a poor meal enough to survive hunger from the anecdote that a Zen priest held a warm stone in his robe to forget the cold and hunger during his training. It consists of soup, rice and three dishes to prepare your stomach before enjoying the strong tea served at the tea ceremony.
As explained earlier, the basis of Kaiseki Ryori at a tea ceremony is one soup and three dishes, but Japanese restaurants, where you are likely to go to eat in person, often have their own arrangements, such as increasing the number of items or changing the order. In a typical menu, oshiki (折敷), wanmono (椀盛), grilled dishes (焼き物), simmered dishes or vinegared dishes (強肴), suimono (吸い物), hasun (八寸), yuto・kouomono(湯桶・香の物), and omokashi・koicha (主菓子・濃茶) are served.
Originally, Kaiseki Ryori was not a sumptuous meal to be eaten with sake, but rather a dish to fill a small stomach before enjoying a more delicious cup of tea.
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Revision date: December 30, 2022
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Kaiseki Ryori (会席料理) is a course meal to enjoy banquest style. In a typical menu, appetizers (前菜), soup (吸い物), sashimi, grilled dishes (焼き物), simmered dishes (煮物), deep-fried dishes (揚げ物), steamed dishes (蒸し物), and vinegared dishes (酢の物) are delivered in order, and finally rice and red miso soup (止め椀), pickles (香の物), and fruits (水菓子) are served. Some restaurants add an aperitif (食前酒).
The most familiar example of Kaiseki Ryori is the food served at hot spring resorts.
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Revision date: December 29, 2022
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Figured leather jacket (luterus scriptus) is a type of large filefish that lives in the warm seas of the world. The meat is used to make kamaboko (boiled fish paste), but there have been cases of poisoning from this fish in various places including Okinawa, Saipan and Tahiti. The toxin found through research was given the name Palytoxin.
With Palytoxin, Palythoa tuberculosa is generated and it is a highly toxic substance that accumulates in various sea creatures through the food chain. It is considered to be even more toxic than that of blowfish. Even heat does not break down this toxin
The toxicity symptoms suddenly appear between 3 to 36 hours after consumption. However, vomiting and diarrhea are not normally occurring symptoms. The main symptoms of this poisoning include intense muscle soreness starting in the trunk near the limbs, followed by muscle weakness. Finally, coronary artery spasms occur, causing death. Cases of poisoning in Japan are well-known to be caused by the intake of Scarus ovifrons, and there are also reports of Epinephelus bruneu, Ostracion immaculatus, Lactoria diaphana, Aluterus scriptus, etc. Cases have occurred in Kyushu and Shikoku, such as Kagoshima, Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures.
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Revision date: December 1, 2022
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Scallops sometimes eat a type of toxic dinoflagellate (known as the cause of the red tide), accumulate this toxin in their bodies and become poisonous. This toxin is called Saxitoxin and it has a high fatality rate.
Symptoms of poisoning start with numbness in the lips, tongue and side of the face as well as a burning sensation that eventually spreads to the ends of the limbs and causes loss of sensation. When it gets even worse, the victim loses the ability to move their body. Even in end stage, the victim maintains consciousness until breathing ceases and then finally dying from suffocation. There have been a number of cases of death from Saxitoxin on either coast of the North American continent, but there are very few cases of poisoning in Japan.
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Revision date: November 25, 2022
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In Japan, six types of sea urchins are caught: “Bafun uni”, “Ezobafun uni“, “Murasaki uni”, “Kitamurasaki uni”, “Aka uni”, and “Shirahige uni. At sushi restaurants, “Bafun uni” and “Ezobafun uni” are sometimes called “Aka uni (red sea urchin),” while “Murasaki uni” and “Kitamurasaki uni” are called “Shiro uni (white sea urchin). Generally, red sea urchins are considered more expensive than white sea urchins because red sea urchins are sweeter and last longer, but recently, due to the effects of sea desertification, the place of origin has become more important than the type of sea urchin.
The “Kitamurasaki uni” is distributed north of the Tohoku region and the “Murasaki uni” south of the Tohoku region, the “Ezobafun uni” north of the Tohoku region and the “Bafun uni” south of Matsushima Bay, respectively.
The “Kitamurasaki sea urchin” is distributed north of the Tohoku region and the “Murasaki sea urchin” south of the Tohoku region, the “Ezo-bafun uni” north of the Tohoku region and the “Bafun uni” south of Matsushima Bay, respectively.
“Ezobafun uni” and “Kitamurasaki uni” are caught on Rishiri Island and Rebun Island, “Bafun uni” and “Murasaki uni” on Shakotan Peninsula, “Bafun uni” on the four northern islands (Kunashiri Island, Etorofu Island, Shikotan Island and Chimai Islands) and Sakhalin Island, “Kitamurasaki uni” on Sanriku, Hakodate, Matsumae, Esashi and Okushiri Island, and others. Aka uni is caught in Yura, Karatsu, Hagi, Iki, and Amakusa. In Kagoshima and Okinawa, the word “sea urchin” refers to the “Shirahige uni”.
The price of that sea urchin has not stopped soaring. It is said that the price of sea urchin has doubled over the past few years. Combined with the weak yen, we hear that the Toyosu market is losing out to foreign sushi restaurants and other buyers. Increasing conflicts and rising sea temperatures are probably part of the reason for this. And foreigners visiting Japan are beginning to understand the deliciousness of sea urchin, so the number of foreigners who do not eat sea urchin is decreasing. The situation is such that the price of sea urchin is rising more and more.
We have made a list of sea urchin producers as far as we know. We honestly do not know how we should utilize this information, but we hope it will be useful.
Higashizawa Suisan uses carefully selected Kitamurasakiuni from Hokkaido.
143-1 Wakumoto, Chonai-cho, Kamiiso gun, Hokkaido 〒049-1104
+81-11392-5-5237
Types：Kitamurasaki uni
Hadate Suisan has a processing plant in Mori Town, Hokkaido, facing Funka Bay, and specializes in producing the highest quality Kitamurasakiuni from Hokkaido.
2-19-1 Sunahara, Mori-machi, Kayabe-gun, Hokkaido 〒049-2222
+81-1374-8-3355
Types：Kitamurasaki uni
Tachibana Suisan operates two brands. One is manufactured at the Hakodate factory in Hokkaido and labeled with a green label (特選生うに). The other is manufactured at the Kamikuni factory in Hokkaido and labeled with a light blue label (まるひろの生うに).
238-6 Aza-Osaki, Kaminokuni-cho, Hiyama-gun, Hokkaido 〒049-0603
+81-139-55-3555
Types：Kitamurasaki uni
Daisen mainly uses Kitamurasakiuni from Aomori Prefecture.
142-1, Aza Furugamatanihei, Oaza Hebaura, Kazamaura Village, Shimokita-gun, Aomori Prefecture 〒039-4503
+81-175-35-2628
Types：Kitamurasaki uni
〒087-0025北海道根室市西浜町9-40
0153-24-5188
Kaneyo Ouyo Suisan
2-14-6 Toyosato, Chitose-shi, Hokkaido 〒066-0022
+81-123-22-8014
Ichikawa Hokkai Suisan
Types：Ezo-bafun uni、Kitamurasaki uni
12-3 Mangoku, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 〒986-2115
+81-225-97-5011
Marukuni Suisan
13-1 Hoka, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0037
+81-153-27-1309
Types：Ensui uni
Marumasa Ogawa foods (丸雅 小川フーズ)
1-778-8 Shinko, Ishikari City, Hokkaido 〒061-3241
+81-133-77-5208
Types：Ezobafununi
1-129 Shinkawa-higashi, Hamanaka-cho, Atsukishi-gun, Hokkaido 〒088-1527
+81-153-62-3211
Kimura Suisan
Types：Ezo-bafun uni
Akiyama Suisan (マルケイ 秋山水産)
3-17, Wangetsu-cho, Atsukishi-cho, Atsukishi-gun, Hokkaido 〒088-1100
+81-153-52-3808
Takahashi Shoten (マルタカ髙橋商店)
2-13-2 Kiyotaka-cho, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0025
+81-153-27-1066
Takahashi Shoten
Types：Nemuro・Northern territories（Murasaki uni、Ezo-bafun uni）
Konishi Shoten (丸幸 小西商店)
12-6 Aza Showa-machi, Oaza-Shiraganicho, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture 〒031-0822
+81-178-33-7632
Konishi Shoten
Ogawa Shoten mainly produces Kitamurasakiuni and Ezobafununi. Although the label says “Ogawa’s fresh sea urchin (おがわの生うに),” the supplier calls it “Abuta Ogawa.” There are three sea urchin manufacturers with “Ogawa” in their names, so unless it is specified whether it is Abuta Ogawa, Hamanaka Ogawa, or Ogawa Company, it is unclear which one the supplier is referring to.
In summer, Kitamurasakiuni is harvested from the Japan Sea side of southern Hokkaido, including Shakotan, Sutto, Setana, and Okushiri Island.
Additionally, Tenma and Yakushima Islands, as well as Rishiri and Rebun Islands, are the closest to other manufacturers, offering the advantage of freshness and quick processing.
On the other hand, Ezobafununi is harvested from Shakotan in summer and Funka Bay in winter.
89-5 Aza-Irie, Toyako Town, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 〒049-5603
+81-142-76-2323
Ogawa shoten
Types：Kitamurasaki uni、Bafun uni
1-21 Yura, Sumoto City, Hyogo Prefecture 〒656-2541
+81-90-3673-7307
Types：Murasaki uni、Aka uni
Yamaguchi suisan (山口水産)
543-5, Uchida, Yura-cho, Sumoto-shi, Hyogo Prefecture 〒656-2542
+81-799-27-2162
Types：Murasaki uni
Ogawa Suisan is known for its green label and is commonly referred to as “Hamanaka Ogawa” by industry insiders. The company primarily produces Ezobafununi. Hamanaka Town is located in eastern Hokkaido, between Akkeshi and Nemuro, and is renowned for its high-quality Ezobafununi. Additionally, during the winter season, sea urchins from the Northern Four Islands are widely available in the market.
40-3 Nakanohama, Hamacho, Akkeshi-gun, Hokkaido 〒088-1531
+81-153-62-3193
Types：Ezobafun uni, Ensui uni
Hirakawa Suisan (Maruki Hirakawa) is headquartered in Hamacho, Hokkaido, where it also operates a processing plant. Taking advantage of its location in eastern Hokkaido, the company specializes in the production of Ezobafununi, which is found in Hamacho, the Nemuro Peninsula, and the Northern Four Islands.
484 Biwase, Hamanaka-cho, Atsukishi-gun, Hokkaido 〒088-1532
+81-153-62-3556
Hirakawa Suisan
種類：Farmed Bafun uni
Taisho Bussan (泰匠物産)
125-4 Hoka, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0037
+81-9050-70-8334
Types：Ensui uni
Marukyo Akatsuki (マルキョウ あかつき水産)
123 Hanasaki Port, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0032
+81-153-23-3453
Types：Northern territories
Kiritappu Suisan (霧多布水産)
2-48 Bokibetsu Higashi, Hamacho, Akkeshi-gun, Hokkaido 〒088-1524
+81-153-62-4188
Kiritappu Suisan
種類：Ezo-bafun uni, Kitamurasaki uni
柊流海産 生ウニ
8-10-5 Nishihama-cho, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0025
+81-153-22-2033
種類：Northern territories
Marukyo Suisan (丸恭水産)
1-3-6 Shiomi-cho, Tomakomai City, Hokkaido 〒053-0012
+81-144-36-6644
Marukyo Suisan
Marukawa Kawamura Suisan (マルカワ 川村水産)
13-3 Hoka, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0037
+81-153-27-1300
Marukawa Kawamura Suisan
Kananese Setoshoten (株式会社かねせ 瀨戸商店)
8-123 Nishihama-cho, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0025
+81-153-22-3501
Kananese Setoshoten
Types：Ezo-bafun uni, Ensui uni
Sapporo Kaneshin Suisan (札幌カネシン水産)
5-3-9, Hachiken 1-jo Higashi 5-chome, Nishi-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 〒063-0861
+81-11-676-9531
Sapporo Kaneshin Suisan
Types：Ezo-bafun uni, Ensui uni
Murakami Shoten has a processing plant in Hokuto City, adjacent to Hakodate City in Hokkaido. They mainly use sea urchins from the Hakodate area, which allows them to process them while they are still fresh and ship them quickly to Toyosu.
1-8-10 Nanaehama, Hokuto-shi, Hokkaido 〒049-0111
+81-138-48-8311
Murakami Shoten
Types：Ezo-bafun uni, Kitamurasakuni, Ensui uni
Maruei Masaki Suisan (マルエイ正木水産)
68 Hanasaki Port, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0032
81-153-25-8131
Types：Northern territories
Katakura shoten (片倉商店)
5-3 Ichiba-dori, Onagawa-cho, Oshika-gun, Miyagi Prefecture 〒986-2283
+81-225-53-5611
Kaneki Yoshida shoten (カネキ吉田)
150-154 Numata, Shizugawa, Minamisanriku-cho, Motoyoshi-gun, Miyagi Prefecture 〒986-0725
+81-226-46-3747
Types：Kitamurasaki uni
Marumiya Miyazaki suisan (マルミヤ宮崎水産)
153 Katsuragi, Nemuro City, Hokkaido 〒087-0023
+81-153-27-1116
Types：Kitamurasaki uni、Ezobafun uni
Fukushi Suisan (福士水産)
28, Notsuka, Rishirifuji-machi, Rishiri-gun, Hokkaido 〒097-0101
+81-163-82-1161
Kyoeibukai (共栄部会)
Aza Aonae, Okushiri-cho, Okushiri-gun, Hokkaido 〒043-1521
+81-1397-3-2215
Hakodate Fisheries Cooperative Association (函館市漁協共同組合)
16-7 Irifune-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan 〒040-0057
+81-138-22-4673
Basically, even if you contact us, we are not sure if you can deal with us directly. As far as we know, for example, you would have to buy from an Intermediate wholesaler at the Toyosu market. And the ones with images are the Ita-uni (basic means of distribution are two types: on a plate and in salt water) that you often see at sushi restaurants.
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Revision date: May 28, 2025
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Among the fish that belong to the Anguilliformes order such as Eel, Conger eel, and Moray eel, some contain toxic components in their blood serum. This type of serotoxin is called Ichthyohemotoxin and indicates lethal and hemolytic actions. However, this is not the official name of the toxin, and the chemical structure is also not clear.
If a human were to drink a large amount of fresh blood from these fish, they would suffer from symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, cyanosis, arrhythmia, paresthesia, paralysis and respiratory distress, and it would then sometimes result in death. If the blood gets in your eyes, it causes an intense burning sensation, swollen eyelids, and a foreign body sensation that last for days. Sufficient caution must be practiced when preparing these fish, but there is no concern for toxicity if it is cooked. Incidentally, in case of Ichthyohemotoxin, found in eel’s blood, the toxicity completely disappears when cooked for 5 minutes at 60℃, so there are no issues with eating eel Kabayakai.
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Revision date: November 15, 2022
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To put it simply, Matcha is made by grinding up Tencha with a tea grinding handmill, into fine particles 1 to 20 μm in size. Tencha is grown in mostly the same way as Gyokuro but covered for 5 days longer than Gyokuro. The initial steaming method is also the same as Gyokuro and Sencha, but the difference is that after steaming, it is just dried, without any kneading.
After steaming, a device called a tea leaf spreader is used to spread them over 5 to 6 m in warm air, the moisture from the steaming is removed, and then they are cooled. This process is repeated 4 to 5 times and then it is normally dried in a Tencha oven. The finished Tencha is then left to rest in a cool place until November.
Matcha produced at the beginning of November is ground using a handmill as “newly picked tea,” but since it had been resting, it emits the refreshing scent of new tea, giving it a mellowness. Meanwhile, lately, newly picked tea is ground with a handmill immediately to make Matcha that retains the refreshing scent, creating a flavor that differs from that of the tea ceremony world.
Consuming the actual Matcha leaves allows you to take in all the non-water-soluble components, so it’s gained attention as part of a health boom lately. In order to keep up with that demand, Matcha that strays from the original definition is mass-produced using mills.
Matcha is a drink used at places like tea ceremonies to enjoy with Japanese-style sweets. It goes without saying that this is not to be drunk with Nigiri sushi. When enjoying Nigiri sushi, you will be served Konacha, Mecha or Roasted green tea.
Related contents:
Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association
GREEN TEA THAT PAIRS WITH SUSHI
Why are the teacups at sushi restaurants so big?!
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Revision date: December 9, 2022
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This practice’s origins can be found in the street stands leftover from before WWII. It was a natural remedy for the outdoor sushi vendors who set up street booths and needed a way to maintain heat in their drinks in order to make it through the cold. In addition to lack of convenient access to water, these stands were one-man operations and the time that serving tea takes away from his time making sushi were also contributing factors. In other words, the reason the teacups are large is natural wisdom of sushi shops from long ago.
Also, hot tea has the effect of dissolving the fat that remains on the tongue after eating a fatty sushi topping, cleansing and preparing the palette for the next piece of sushi. This is a task that cannot be performed by beer or Japanese sake.
Then, large teacups became one of the special features at sushi restaurants and a favorite feature among customers, so it wouldn’t make sense to go back to small teacups now. However, times change. There are now sushi restaurants that use relatively small teacups that they change with each refill in an attempt at a sort of stage effect. There are even places that have the teacups imprinted with the restaurant name, phone number, etc. and hand them out to favorite customers. This has tremendous advertising effects.
There are various production sites, but most that are mass-producing are located around the Toki area of Gifu prefecture and the more expensive but also relatively more durable tend to be Arita ware from Saga prefecture. There are wide varieties in shape and pattern, but despite the preference for large teacups at sushi restaurants, there is such a thing as cups that are too big and they are also harder to drink from. Also, thicker cups may be more durable, but they are also harder to drink from. Even when made thick, the rim should be thinner. The cylinder shape is hard to clean and the bottom of the cup tends to be stained by the tea. My personal opinion is that it is hard to find what I would call a refined teacup with a nice color and shape. But the worst is when a thin teacup or tea bowl gets too hot to hold.
Related contents:
GREEN TEA THAT PAIRS WITH SUSHI
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Revision date: October 1, 2022
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When it comes to green tea, I’m sure you’ve heard of Gyokuro (玉露) and Matcha (抹茶), but you are likely not familiar with Konacha (粉茶) and Mecha (芽茶). Let’s remedy that by explaining both Konacha and Mecha here.
First and foremost, the three broad tea categories based on the processing method of the young leaves include green tea, oolong tea and black tea, but these are all made of leaves picked from the same trees, and then end up as completely different teas just by changing the processing method. Oolong tea and black tea are made by artificially fermenting the tea leaves as part of the processing. On the other hand, green tea is made without fermentation. The raw material of green tea that is eventually made into Sencha, Gyokuro and Tencha (碾茶), which is the raw material for Matcha among others. Then Konacha, Mecha, etc. are byproducts of the process for making Sencha and Gyokuro.
Sencha is known for its gentle flavor with a lingering, but subtle sweetness amidst the inherent fresh scent and bitterness. Generally, the color of Sencha is a transparent yellowish gold. Freshly picked tea leaves are immediately steamed, stopping the fermentation process. The steaming process gives each completed, individual tea leaf a deep green color. Tea was originally introduced to the world from China, but Sencha is the only tea with a unique, deep flavor created by Japan. About 80% of the tea produced in Japan is said to be Sencha. The most delicious Sencha comes around from the end of April to May, which is the beginning of the tea season. The appropriate volume of tea when steeping for one person is 2 to 3 grams of tea leaves to 70 milliliters of hot water and the appropriate water temperature is around 70℃ in order to bring out the sweetness and umami.
By blocking sunlight and growing in the shade during the sprout timing, the leaves for Gyokuro grow full of theanine, which is an umami component, ending up with tea leaves that have a unique sweetness. It is common to focus only on taste, but the fragrance, described as “enveloping” is also wonderful and should not be discounted. This fragrance is often described by people from outside of Japan as a having a seawater-like scent or being salty. Yame in Fukuoka, Uji in Kyoto and Okabe in Shizuoka prefecture are the three famous production spots for Gyokuro. The appropriate volume of tea when steeping for one person is 2 to 3 grams of tea leaves to 20 to 30 milliliters of hot water and the appropriate water temperature is around 50 to 60℃ in order to bring out the sweetness and umami. This will give you the ultimate cuppa that is the epitome of luxury.
By avoiding the use of a teapot and only preparing the number of teacups needed, directly in the cup, strong tea can be made just by adding the hot water later. Conventionally, steaming is a very important step in making tea, but it isn’t necessary with Konacha. Konacha raw ingredients are mainly made up of the broken tea leaves from the Gyokuro and Sencha manufacturing process.
Brewing konacha results in a dark, deep green color. As the name suggests, it has a lot of powder in it, so the tea leaves in powder form settle in the bottom of the teacup. There for it also carries the benefit of being richer in nutrients than other teas. The sense of transparency is moderate and has a bit of a more somber color. The appropriate amount of water when brewing konacha is one gram of tea leaves to 40 to 60 milliliters of hot water. Konacha is strong, so making it with water that is about 80℃ gives it a mellow flavor. Tea that is made quickly with hotter water gets a moderate bitterness typical of Japanese tea and cleanses the palate.
Also, Japanese people have treasured food since long ago. For example, the leaves of vegetables like daikon radish are sauteed and consumed rather than discarded. As a society they have spent many centuries making efforts to figure out how each part can be made delicious. Mecha is made by collecting the cut-off tips of sprouts and leaves in the process of manufacturing Gyokuro and Sencha. There are many people who think Mecha is tea made just from picking the small buds from tea trees, so don’t make that mistake.
Mecha is a strong green tea that gets a strong scent when brewed. The longer the extraction time is, the stronger the tea, so if the color is too dark it changes the impression it gives and also affects the flavor. That’s why it’s important to pay close attention to extraction time. In general, the volume should be 2 grams for 70 milliliters of hot water–the same as Sencha. When preparing for more people, fewer tea leaves should be used. When brewing, wait patiently for the rounded Mecha leaves to open up. Around 80℃ is the appropriate temperature, but if less bitterness is preferred then it can be made with hot water at 90℃.
In summary, Konacha and Mecha, which are teas used at sushi restaurants, are made from the broken-off parts of the tea leaves carefully selected for Sencha and Gyokuro. They don’t require the steaming step of the tea-making process, so they can be prepared quickly and include the appropriate amount of bitterness for cleansing the palette, making them perfect pairings for nigiri sushi.
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GREEN TEA THAT PAIRS WITH SUSHI
Why are the teacups at sushi restaurants so big?!
Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association
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Revision date: September 8, 2022
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When a fish is pulled from the sea, it is put into an extraneous environment with sunlight, temperature and hot human hands that it isn’t used to, so it starts to swim violently with all its might, trying to get away, in a perpetual state of tension. If cooked in this state, blood will still be running through all the cells of the body. There is no sense of transparency in the meat at this point, especially the white meat. The body also hardens. The entire body reeks of blood. In other words, the meat of white fish is full of blood, making it unsuitable for preparing as food.
Fish are placed in a tank with enough water and oxygen, only in numbers so that they do not rub up against each other. A lid is placed on the tank to create a temporary dark space. At this time, the temperature of the water is an ideal, low temperature. This keeps the fish from struggling. After being left for half a day, it will regurgitate anything undigested that was eaten prior to being caught, become acclimated to the dark space and settle down. The bloody tone from struggling fades throughout the body and the fish relaxes.
Ikekoshi methods differ depending on the species of fish, but the idea is to keep this state for only one day at most. When left for two or three days, the fish loses meat, starts to swim around the dark chamber that it has now grown accustomed to, and its body, tail and fins rub up against other fish or the sides of the tank, causing damage. This hurts the meat quality and appearance so it is something the fisherman must look out for.
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Revision date: August 5, 2022
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Crab protein has a high sulfur content. This sulfur can bind with the iron in the can, resulting in ferric sulfide that causes black spots in the meat. Black discoloration of the crab meat significantly mars the appearance and reduces the product value. In order to prevent this, parchment paper with superior water resistance and oil resistance is used to keep the crab meat from coming in contact with the can.
Meanwhile, the trace amounts of magnesium, ammonium and phosphoric acid contained in crab and fish meat sometimes bind to create magnesium ammonium phosphate glassy crystals. This chemical phenomenon is called struvite.
These crystals have no taste or odor and dissolve easily in the stomach so they are not considered to be an issue under the Food Sanitation Act. However, large crystals may hurt the oral cavity so efforts are made to improve production methods to prevent generation of crystals and keep any crystals that do form as small as possible. However, parchment paper does not reduce the struvite phenomenon.
In summary, do you now understand the truth of why crab meat is wrapped in white paper? Of course, nowadays the surfaces of cans are processed in a way that the iron doesn’t start to dissolve, so perhaps the correct theory is that the parchment continues to be used to give a sense of luxury.
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Revision date: August 1 2022
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There are three elements that make good quality Kuromaguro（Bluefin tuna）.
First of all, color does not simply refer to the color of the cross-section when the fish is cut with a butcher knife.It refers to how long the fish maintains its “characteristic coloring”. After all, tuna darkens as time passes, eventually turning a burnt-brown color. The true, visual charm of Kuromaguro is the eye-awakening red color that catches your attention when the sushi is placed on a counter or plate. This wonderful coloring is a characteristic of tuna caught through longline fishing or single‐hook fishing. On the other hand, it is said that those caught in round haul nets don’t hold their color and don’t last long. When frozen tuna is thawed, it turns brown within a day. This focus on color is based more on Japanese restaurants that serve sashimi at tables that are located farther away from where the food is being prepared, than on sushi. Incidentally, Mebachi, despite also being tuna, holds its color longer than Kuromaguro does and is suitable for take-out sushi. Minamimaguro is a darker red color than Kuromaguro, but it also loses its color quicker. Kihada maintains its color best.
The truth is that the source of fish flavor components is still being researched and there are a lot of unknowns. What we do know is that this fragrance is made up of many volatile compounds, but since there are only trace amounts of each one, they are difficult to analyze.
Yet, in the case of expensive Kuromaguro, every measure possible is taken to make sure this fragrance is maintained. Kuromaguro is a migratory fish that gets around by swimming at high speeds in the surface layer of the sea. It needs strong muscles to swim this fast. it also needs to circulate blood throughout its entire body in order to vigorously move those muscles. When a tuna violently struggles to resist and twists its body to avoid being caught, the proteins in its muscles (myosin and myoglobin) rapidly react with oxygen and start to degenerate. This causes Yake and the oxidized odor of tuna. It is important to catch the tuna while causing it as little stress as possible, quickly remove the organs and then use ice to rapidly cool the entire body. If this process is delayed then the pleasant fragrance will transform into an odor. In other words, the scent of Kuromaguro all depends on how it is processed after being caught.
The meat of Kuromaguro that is properly processed emits a unique aroma with a slightly acidic taste when you put it in your mouth. That fragrance lingers for a long time and it combines beautifully with the acetic acid of the sushi rice to go straight to your nose. Then, the moment the fish has disappeared down your throat, the scent of the iron and a subtle acidic taste linger very nicely. This experience is only possible with the exceptional Kuromaguro.
Especially in winter, the Harakami cross-section of Kuromaguro is marbled, much like the Ribulose of Wagyu beef. The melting point for the fat of high-quality tuna is low, and it starts to dissolve even at human skin temperature. This is why sushi chefs who are particular about the sense of unity between shari (sushi rice) and tuna, say, “Shari should be skin temperature.”
There are many chefs who say that the umami of Kuromaguro is in the fat. In the first place, Kuromaguro is one of the fattier fish, and especially between autumn and winter, the Kuromaguro that fed on Surumeika and Sanma has exceptional Harakami. The organs of both Surumeika and Sanma are rich, full-bodied and delicious, even when grilled and eaten by humans. In other words, it is the Surumeika and Sanma that the tuna feeds on that determine the quality of meat. As an example of the meat quality of tuna being affected by what that tuna fed on, Kuromaguro in the Atlantic ocean that has fed on Nishin may exhibit the scent of Nishin when made into sashimi.
However, having a high fat content is not the most important factor. For example, farmed Kuromaguro is fed a high-protein diet so that it will be fatty regardless of the season. Yet, the fat is tougher than that of the wild fish and it’s not something that leaves you wanting a lot more. In comparison, the fat of wild Kuromaguro has a fine texture throughout, immediately melts in your mouth and is digested easily. As sushi chefs know, the fresh fish seems to suction to their hands when making the nigiri sushi. In the same way, it has a smoothness that seems to suction to your tongue when you put it in your mouth. Once you’ve swallowed, it leaves you craving more.
This is the depth of wild Kuromaguro.
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Revision date: July 2 2022
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Both conveyor belt sushi and premium sushi have versions of sushi made with raw sweet shrimp or botan shrimp. However, in Edomae Sushi, boiled shrimp is always used. The use of raw shrimp in sushi started in the Kansai region. Moreover, in the Kansai region, there are many restaurants that make sushi with live Kurumaebi known as “Odori or Kassha”. However, this way of eating may be declining nationwide. It is probably because there is increased texture when boiled, so it tastes better.
Going back to Odori, “Odori” means “dance” in Japanese and it is said that this name came from the fact that shrimp twitches on the sushi rice and looks like it is dancing. If you look up the roots, it seems that this method of serving started at a sushi restaurant in Kyoto City in the early Showa period. It spread throughout the Kansai region, but although Odori may look easy to make, the method is actually quite elaborate.
Let’s introduce the common recipe here. First wash the live Kurumaebi with fresh water and start by bending the head with your hand while detaching it from the body, then peel off the shell. Next, peel the skin off the abdomen and cut the abdomen open vertically. Fresh shrimp is difficult to peel, so it is important to do it very carefully. Next remove the veins from the back and sprinkle on just a bit of mirin and vinegar, then lightly rinse off with ice water. After that, parboil just the tail in boiling, salted water to make it look attractive.
Then make the sushi with the open side facing up. The direction is important because it is easier to tell that the shrimp is dancing when it is arranged this way. To finish, sprinkle lemon juice over the shrimp meat. This stimulates movement of the body.
Now let’s discuss how a customer eats Odori. It goes without saying that since the shrimp is still alive, the moment you dip the topping in the soy sauce, the shrimp twitches in its death throes, convulsing violently. Apparently the customers are greatly pleased to see this. We don’t recommend the faint of heart to order this dish.
Incidentally, eating only the shrimp in this way is called “Odorigui”. In China there is a dish in which living shrimp is soaked in Shaoxing rice wine or fermented alcohol, made drunk, and then eaten once it has settled down. These sorts of methods may be considered cruel in some western countries.
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Revision date: June 6, 2022
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