Fukuoka Fish Market
April 2021
KATSUO - Bonito
Skipjack produced in the sea near the coast of Japan is completely different from your usual skipjack. Its excellent taste will definitely satisfy your customers. In Japan, spring and autumn are the best seasons for this fish.
HOTARU IKA - Firefly Squid
It has been enjoyed as a seasonal food to eat during spring in Toyama and Hyogo Prefectures. Please enjoy as "okizuke" which is a type of seasoned and pickled dish, marinated with vinegared miso, or as tempura.
SAYORI - Halfbeak
It is a known fact that the best season to eat Sayori is from winter to spring.
Sayori is suited for hosozukuri and itozukuri because of its clarity, but it also shines as a hikarimono sushi.
KEGANI - Horsehair Crab
In the Sea of Okhotsk, the best season for hairy crab is from March to August which is when the floating sea ice leaves. During this season, young crab is more affordable than hard- shelled crab, and although there is less meat, the sweet taste of its flesh is more concentrated in the young crab.
SHIRAUO - Icefish
Spring is the best season for Shirauo, which is when they come back up to the river during spawning season between February and April. Fresh Shirauo is best eaten as sashimi with wasabi soy sauce, marinated with vinegared miso, or gunkan-maki roll.
KISU - Smelt/Whitings
The most delicious season for Kisu is generally said to start in June, but in the Kyushu region, the best season begins in April. Some of the best ways to eat this fish include the "yakishimo" method where you grill the skin with a burner then drop it in ice water, as well as the "konbujime" method where you lightly salt and wrap it in kelp.
HOUBOU - Sea Robin
Houbou is a tasty fish year-round.
The white meat has a rich umami taste. Itʼs good for simmered fish, grilled and sashimi.
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”.
ANAGO - Sea Eel
Anago that is raised on the western offshore of Tsushima with abundant, high quality food, has a larger body than the common anago with better fat content as well. It really is the golden anago like its name says.
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.
HIRAMASA - Yellowtail Amberjack
This fish doesnʼt have as much fat as Buri, but has more fat and “umami” content compared to kanpachi.
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.
SAWARA - Spanish Mackerel
The Sawara’s season is recognized as spring. 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.
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. In Fukuoka, itʼs 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.
KIBINAGO - Silver-Stripe Round
Kibinago is a must-have local food in the Kagoshima prefecture, and is used in many different dishes. Please try the sashimi in Kagoshima style which is with vinegared miso instead of soy sauce. We provide both the pre-filleted type used for sashimi and the whole fish used for tempura.
KIJIHATA - Redspotted Grouper
This fish is also known as Akou. It is treated as a high-class fish on the fish market, and therefore rarely eaten in the common home. It is mostly used in dishes served at high-class restaurants. Thinly sliced sashimi with citrus based soy sauce mixed with wasabi is superb.
MAKOGAREI - Mabled Flounder
In Japan, the best season for flounder is winter, but the best season of Makogarei-Marbled Sole is from spring to the beginning of summer. Itʼs an all-rounded fish suited for any cooking methods.
OUGON AJI - Horse Mackerel
Nonmigratory-type yellow horse mackerel that grows up in coastal bays and attains a golden color and round form. This fish has moderate fat content and very high-quality flesh with a delicious sweetness.
“Ougon Aji” means “taste like gold” in Japanese.
They are caught by fisherman’s pole and line, one-by-one. The caught fish is kept overnight in a live fish tank to maintain its quality and shipped to the market the next day. The quality of this fish receives the best evaluation from top sushi restaurants in Ginza area, Tokyo. Recently in Toyosu Market, this fish was bought and sold at prices more than 5000 yen/kg.
MADAI - Sea Bream
It is a fish that has been loved by Japanese people for a long time. Sea Bream’s sashimi and sushi are made with frosted or grilled skin. It explores the deliciousness of the fat under the skin.
MEKACHIKINTOKI - Red Big Eye Snapper
Kintokidai is not widely known due to its small distribution quantity in the seafood market. However, itʼs extremely good for sushi, sashimi and even salted grilled fish. Its beautiful white, fatty meat and rich “umami” flavor makes it great not only as sushi but as simmered fish or in a hot- pot. Fall to spring is its best season.
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.
KINMEDAI - Alfonsino
The north-flowing “Kuroshio” ocean current brings a rich ocean harvest to Tosashimizu City in the southeastern part of Kochi, Japan.
Fishers 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.
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.
They are mostly caught during spring and summer season which is when they come back to the coast line to lay their eggs.
YARI-IKA - Spear Squid
Large quantities of this squid are caught during their breeding season of winter to spring. The best tasting season is also winter to spring.
In Japan, if you like to eat squid, kensaki-ika is good for summer, yari-ika is good for winter, and kiomochi-yari-ika (with eggs inside) is very popular from winter to spring.
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.
IIDAKO - Baby Octopus
We recommend the ones from either the Oita sea or the Ariake sea.
KURUMA EBI - Japanese Tiger Shrimp
Delivery of farm-raised, frozen, and live prawns of various types are available.
UNI - Sea Urchin
Ezobafun-UNI is a sea urchin harvested in the Hokkaido area and the four northern islands (south Kuril Islands). It has a beautiful orange color with a rich taste. This UNI is rare in the seafood market because of how little can be harvested from the ocean. It is a top-ranked UNI on the market because of its rich sweetness that cannot be compared to any other sea urchins. Some customers question the quality of sea urchins harvested at a location other than Hokkaido. However, the four northern islands is an ideal environment for sea urchins. This is a spot where warm and cold ocean currents meet, producing abundant plankton. There are also high-quality sea kelp in this area for sea urchins to feed on. We ship top ranked UNI, mainly harvested around Habomai and Shakotan Islands.