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Fukuoka Fish Market

January 2023

NISHIKI-BURI - Farm raised Yellowtail

The Nishiki Buri is very plump and does not have a fishy smell like any farm raised fish. You can taste the “Umami” in the fat and this Buri exceeds the O-toro of the Bluefin Tuna.

This Buri (farm raised Hamachi) even surpasses the famous wild HIMI-Buri which is recognized as one of the top brand of buri according to the auction buyers in Tsukiji Fish Market. This is the real deal!!

KINMEDAI - Alfonsino

The north-flowing “Kuroshio” ocean current brings a rich ocean harvest to Tosashimizu City in the southeastern part of Kochi, Japan. Fishermen on small boats catch kinmedai one by one with fly fishing gear. The fish are handled very carefully, and in the evening of the same day they are packed for shipping to cities in the USA. 

AKAMUTSU – Blackthroat

“Benihitomi” is brand name of akamutsu that fish caught in Tsushima and Iki Island area sea by “Jigokunawa” fishing style. “Benihitomi” is called “King of Akamutsu”.

MEJINA – Largescale blackfish

If you are looking to eat the best MEJINA, now is the season! MEJINA in the winter has a very fresh taste with delicious fat. The firm texture of this fish is said to be even better than that of MADAI (sea bream). We recommend serving our MEJINA with the skin, using the technique of “matsukawa zukuri”.

SAWARA – Spanish mackerel

The sawara season is recognized as spring.  However, in the east side of Japan, the season starts in the autumn. The fatty meat before spawning season is favored in eastern Japan. 
Fresh quality sawara is good for sashimi as well as other cooking styles such as saikyozuke and yuanyaki.  

KURODAI – Black bream

In Fukuoka, Kurodai is called “Meita” or “Chinu”, depending on its size. When it is over 11 inches, they call it “Chinu”.
During its best season, the taste of Kurodai is said to be as good as Madai, if not better.

KUE – Longtooth grouper

There is only a small amount available in the seafood market, so this is a very prized fish in Japan. This fish is tasty year-round. It’s very good for nabe Japanese hot-pot style in the cold winter season.

AMADAI – Japanese tilefish

In the season from fall to early spring, amadai are particularly rich in fat and delicious sweetness.

HIRAME – Fluke (Wild)

In the cold winter season of November to February, this fish has a good firm texture and is full of tasty fat.

In recent years, there is a large amount of farm-raised hirame in the fish market, but wild hirame in this season has an incomparable taste.

TACHIUO – Beltfish

The breeding season of tachiuo is June to October. In fall to winter, after the breeding season, the fish grows larger and the fatty taste is better.

KASAGO – Marbled rockfish

In Japan, the haiku seasonal word (kigo), of kasago is spring.  However, in the present day, it is available year-round in the fish market. The taste is best from the end of November to February.  In Fukuoka, it’s called arakabu and is a very popular fish in this area. 
It has refined white flesh and is quite perishable. However, we ship it very fresh to the U.S. market, maintaining its good quality.

MEDAI – Japanese butterfish

The best season for medai is fall to winter. This fish is easy to cook because the scales are very small and bones are easily cut.

This is a good cost performance fish. The white flesh has a very good umami taste but the price is reasonable compared to other fish. The soft texture is good for various cooking styles. Simmered and hot-pot style are especially suitable for the cold winter season.

KAMASU – Japanese barracuda

In the fall and winter season, the taste becomes an elegant white meat with moderate fat. It’s very good for usuzukuri-style sashimi, salted grilled fish, sakamuchi, steamed fish and, of course, sushi. Kamasu is an all-purpose fish.

RENKODAI – Yellowback seabream

In the Japan fish market, when this fish is compared to Madai (sea-bream), the name value is lower but the taste is just as good. Roasting with some skin left on enhances the delicious taste.

HOUBOU – Sea robin

Houbou is a tasty fish year-round, but especially from November to February, when meat has a rich fat content and is extremely delicious.

The white meat has a rich umami taste. It’s good for simmered fish, grilled and sashimi.

 KAWAHAGI – Filefish

The taste of file fish is good year-round, but especially in Autumn, the best season for this fish. Sashimi with “Kimo-Shoyu” is supremely delicious. “Kimo-Shoyu” is mixed soy sauce with boiled liver of the fish.

UMAZURAHAGI – Black scraper

The meat’s flavor is considered best from the end of summer to fall.  However, there is another opinion that winter is the best season because the liver becomes larger and is very tasty from late autumn to spring.

KAN BURI – Yellowtail wild

This is KAN-BURI from TSUSHIMA and IKI Islands of Nagasaki, Japan that are not caught by fishing nets but only caught by single-hook fishing. This tradition not only prevents overfishing in the area, but allows them to carefully catch each fish one by one, keeping it fresh. Immediately after catching it, they drain the blood and cut the nerves, using a traditional Japanese technique called “ikijime” and “shinkeijime”. Please try our premium KANBURI.

SAYORI – Halfbeak

Sayori season is recognized as winter to spring but the autumn taste is good, too.

It is amazing for both hosozukuri and itozukuri. Of course, it is essential as sushi for hikarimono.

INA SABA– Mackerel (Wild)

Ina-Saba is a brand of Japanese mackerel that is caught in the rich sea of the Tsushima area. Only selected pieces are picked for Ina-Saba brand, according to the following strict standards:

1) Caught by pole-and-line 2) No scratches on the body 3) More than 6 hours cooling time immediately after harvest 4) Size 

KONOSHIRO – Gizzard shad

The best season for Konoshiro(kohada) in Fukuoka is fall to winter.

Konoshiro is a very important ingredient in Edomae style sushi. It’s not too much to say that a sushi chef’s skill can be measured by the taste of his Konoshiro nigiri sushi.

SHIRAKO – Cod roe

Shirako is often called “Kiku” or “Kikuko” due to its resemblance to the “Kiku” flower (chrysanthemum).

Another name for it is “Tachi”. It has many other names depending on what type of fish it is from. Fresh shirako makes for excellent sushi.

KO-IKA – Golden Cuttlefish

A type of squid called Ko-Ika, also called “Sumi-Ika” in the Kantō region, is a very popular and crucial seafood used for Edomae-style sushi and tempura. 

Due to its popularity, the market price of Ko-Ika is very expensive and can cost up to $200/KG in the beginning of its best season.

The baby squids, called Shin-Ika, reach their best season and get shipped into the market from around July. Later, Ko-Ika will have its best season from late Autumn to early Spring.

AORI-IKA – Bigfin reef squid

Aoriika is known as the king of squids, and its sashimi is considered to be of the finest quality in the squid family. Its flesh is rich in sweetness and is very soft but also has a good amount of strength in texture. It is a very popular and crucial item used in Edomae style sushi and tempura.

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