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What I learned about fish in Japan

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 I came across a moment where I became very interested in cooking fish. I came back to Japan, bought myself a kitchen knife in Kappabashi, then I've been studying the craft. I had the opportunity to work in Tsukiji, and now I even moved to a fish city Karatsu, spending time cooking local fish. The experience has been amazing and I understand fish a lot better than when I started. I wanted to organize what I learned so far, so that it helps me to navigate what I should study next. So, here is what I learned about fish in Japan. 1. Ideal environment for the best seafood Japan attracts fish as it is a natural, nutritious buffet. Japan is known to be industrial but it's actually very green. We have very green mountains close to the ocean, and the rivers push nutrients to the sea. Planktons and small food develops in the sea surrounding the islands of Japan. Fish take in these nutrients and become fatty. One interesting experience in Tsukiji was the fish shop I worked for loved sell...
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What I learned so far about Fish in Karatsu

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I'm amazed by the fish in Karatsu. Recently the best I had was aji horse mackerel. May~June is the best season to eat the fish, and when you grill it, the fat from the fish gives a perfect browning. When you become more and more experienced, just by filleting the fish you are able to tell whether the fish will taste good or not. We just had iwashi sardines which is also seasonal. The ones from Chiba tastes amazing during the monsoon period (now) But actually, today we had both from Chiba and from Karatsu and the ones from Karatsu were in better condition. Of course, because where it was fished is very close to where it's sold. It's also easier to maintain in good condition when it is sold right after it's caught instead of traveling all across Japan from Chiba to Karatsu. 4 main reasons why Karatsu fish are so delicious. Karatsu fish are seafood caught in the Genkai region of Saga Prefecture (Karatsu City, Imari City, and Genkai Town), and are known as a brand of fish t...
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If you are a foodie you must come to Karatsu!

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I'm a big foodie and love to cook. I'm content I came across a small city with a population of just 110,000, in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu. I talked about it already in these two posts. What I love about Karatsu, Saga. I moved to a fishing city near Fukuoka, Karatsu. If you are a foodie, or a cook especially fond of seafood, don't miss out on Karatsu. I think it has the potential to become the San Sebastian of Japan, and it is already going in that direction. The locals don't really know their potential I was stunned when I stopped by at Umakamon Ichiba , which translates to "Market of delicious things" in Saga Dialect. The big space of Saga Beef and all the seafood. Even local vegetables and fruits are sold in a very reasonable price. This led me to settle in Karatsu, and work for the market. I'm again stunned how the workers fillet the fishes. To them the whole city does the same thing, so it's nothing that special. But for me, I'm amazed by the t...
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What I learned in Tsukiji: Have seasonal fish🐟

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One amazing thing about seafood in Japan is that it has its seasons. A lot of people, even local Japanese ask for tuna and salmon but these are usually farmed and prices and taste are controlled to be stable. But the real art of Tsukiji is that it follows its seasons. The majority of seafood that comes to the main Toyosu market is wild seasonal fish. From decades and centuries of eating seafood, the people here know when each seafood taste best and when it's more supply, which means lower cost. Eat seasonal Every Japanese would know about "旬"(shun) which means seasonal or best timing. For example, Aji horse mackerel is considered to be in its 旬 during June. June is a monsoon rainy season in Japan, so the rains cause nutrients to flow from the mountains into rivers and the ocean, increasing the number of plankton that feed on them. Aji and Iwashi sardines are two very popular fishes that get bigger and fatty, and we Japanese love the taste of them. Here is a list of fishes...
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What I learned in Tsukiji: Eat Fresh or Age?

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I get asked often, "Are the fishes in Tsukiji caught today?" But I realized that the professionals working in Tsukiji hates this question, because it's a little silly. Many, even local Japanese think freshly caught fish taste better, but at least for sashimi or sushi it's better to let it sit or "age" for a few days. In this post I want to explain why fishes need to age in order to taste better. Fishes need to age for better taste. Ask any high end sushi chef which taste better: Freshly caught fish Fish that has gone through shinkeijime and left for several days There might be a few exceptions, but all chefs will say 2. Shinkeijime starts the umami enhancement process Shinkeijime 神経締め is a way to kill the fish with the least amount of stress (at the same time cutting off the nerves and draining the blood) The shinkeijime process is imortant as leaving the nerves results in rot. That's why the fish shipped to Tokyo go through this process on the fishing b...
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The 2 Local Sake of Karatsu you must try!

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The Karatsu Sake Brewery Summit attracted many visitors last Sunday. I was inspired how happy people were talking about the Saga Sake they like. I'd like to extend the happiness by digging deeper on Saga Sake. The 2 Local Sake of Karatsu There was a guest, a local from Karatsu that told me how much he loved Sake. He was telling me about Komatsu Sake Brewery that makes Manrei, and Narutaki Sake Brewery that makes Taki and Taiko which is home to Karatsu City.  The rest of the sake served at Choko Bar are all from other cities within Saga Prefecture. So, I decided to taste and take note of the ones from Karatsu first.  Manrei From my experience so far, locals choose Manrei over Taki. Maybe because Taki is the premium version of Taiko, the signature sake for the Kunchi Frestival. Manrei is sweet and rich. Starting off drinking sake, or when you are drinking sake without food. Manrei is a good choice. Taki This time it was the same as the first time I tried it. It's clear and round...
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My Learning Journey so far these past few years.

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I'm hooked on learning something new everyday. Right now I try my best to walk every morning around my neighborhood in Karatsu City.  The people here are much more laid back and polite and I learn from them a lot about the city and fishes as well, which was the main reason why I decided to settle here. What I learned so far about Fish in Karatsu They care more about spending quality time with family than chasing money. I know a lot more about things outside of Karatsu or Kyushu, so I answer what they're curious about. In return they teach me about Karatsu and how it used to be and how it is today. Each person has their opinions and thoughts about how they see the city, of course.  And that's very interesting and inspiring for me. It makes me think about what I want to do here. My interest is fishing and fishes in general. So I learn about that a lot here and through my morning walks. What I learn everyday from my morning walks! I've been around many places in the world,...
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