Fukuoka Fish Market
September 2021
AKI-SAKE - Autumn Chum Salmon
In September, in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, salmon go upstream to lay eggs. From autumn to winter, they are representative of the northern province taste. Do not miss the season!
KINMEDAI - Alfonsino
We will check the quality and quantity of the catch and price trends of Kochi, Izu, and Chiba, and send the best ones to our customers as usual.
MADAI - Red Sea Bream (Wild)
The people of Japan simply love this fish. It has a long history of being served on celebration days in Japan. This fish has a tasty fatty part under the skin. “Shimokawa-tsukuri” is the best sashimi style to make use of the tasty fatty parts. Roasting with some skin on also enhances the delicious taste. Recently, farm-raised sea breams have become more popular but wild-caught sea breams are still a top-ranking fish in the Japanese seafood market.
KUE - Longtooth Grouper
Longtooth grouper is considered in the markets in the Kyushu area to be an extra-high-quality fish due to their flavor and sparse distribution. They have fluffy white flesh while their skin is thick and full of collagen. Although they are fatty fish, they are subtler and lighter compared to fatty tuna, and when cooked in nabe soups, the collagen mixes with the stock to produce a unique flavor.
The translucent white flesh has a strong texture that also lends to a pleasant texture when enjoyed as sashimi. Their plentiful marbling makes for a light refined flavor.
AKAISAKI - Red Grunt
They are caught all year round. Its bland white flesh does not have much fat, and the taste does not change all year just like other groupers. This fish’s umami is under the skin and Yakishimozukuri, which is sashimi prepared after burning its skin and ice-chilling turns into an elegant dish. Other than that, boiled, sauteed, or broiled with salt are a good match too.
MAHATA - Grouper
Many types of grouper can be enjoyed in Kyushu. Seven band grouper (Mahata) is the most recommended for this season. Although it is a fish that is not well-distributed among other markets. It is often found in the markets of Fukuoka. The firm texture of the fish is delectably enjoyed as thin slices.
KIJIHATA - Red-spotted Grouper
They are caught all year round. Its bland white flesh does not have much fat, and the taste does not change all year just like other sea basses. The umami of this fish is under the skin and Yakishimozukuri, which is sashimi prepared after burning its skin and ice-chilling turns it into an elegant dish. Other than that, boiled, sauteed, or broiled with salt are a good match too.
ISHIDAI - Striped Beakfish
Thinly sliced striped beakfish is translucent with a firm texture, an ever-delicate sweetness, and an "umami” flavor. It has a much richer flavor compared to Japanese sea bass and flathead (the most notorious of summer fish). Ways to enjoy this fish include "Arai" style slices, simmered fish, steaming, salt-grilling, meuniere, and “Ushiojiru” salt broth. It is good to remove the skin, boil, and make thin slices with a garnish of julienned ginger and scallions with lemon juice. Also, you can wrap them on a bamboo skewer and grill until crisp, seared with soy sauce or salt and lemon juice.
ISHIGAKIDAI - Spotted Knifejaw
Sliced spotted knifejaw is a delicious white-fleshed fish that is very similar to Madai (red sea bream) with a tough and springy texture that makes it very chewy. It also possesses a light fragrance of the ocean when served as sashimi. When the white flesh is dried up, it becomes surprisingly fatty with strong umami, and the taste between the skin and the flesh is particularly delicious.
SUZUKI - Japanese Sea Bass
In the Japanese fish market, when this fish is compared to Madai (sea-bream), the name value is lower, but the taste is perfect. Roasting with some skin left on the body enhances the delicious taste.
HIRAME - Fluke (Wild)
It is a bit early for the KAN-Hirame (‘cold’ season fluke) season, but better-quality catches start to flow in during September. To be slightly creative, try kobujime (tying kombu around the flesh), fall-catch flounder can also be surprisingly delectable.
AMADAI - Japanese Tilefish
In the season (fall to early spring), amadai are particularly rich in fat and very delicious.
ITOYORI - Threadfin Bream
The bright pink color of this fish adds color to the sashimi-dish as well as the taste. In Japan, it is classified as high-end class fish. Sashimi with firm skin is ultimately tasty. This fish is not only good for Japanese foods, it's also good for sauteed with butter or Meuniere.
KISU - Smelt/Whiting
Generally, Kisu migrates towards the shore and are caught at the beginning of May. During this period, you can see lots of fresh fish of this species in stores. Kisu prefers the clean sands at the bottom of the ocean. The beautiful waters around Shiga Island abound with high-quality kisu. To maintain the freshness of this fish, fishermen have employed the method of releasing the hook from the fish without touching it.
OKOZE - Devil Stinger
There are largely three types of devil stingers; red, black, and yellow. In the market, the red type is ranked as the most expensive, then the black, and finally the yellow. Those that are large and above 500g are mostly prepared as sashimi.
HAMO - Pike Conger
Many rivers flow into the Shiranui Sea of Amakusa; this is where pike eel grow in a location with ample food, thanks to the freshwater. These pike eels are called golden pike eels and have excellent marbling. Pike eel here is known for quality far exceeding the rest of the nation. They are fished by using a long line.
YAZU - Young Yellowtail
Yazu is a “Shusseuo” name for young yellowtail in Fukuoka area market. It has less fatty meat compared to Buri. It has an elegant sweetness and a satisfying texture.
KANPACHI - Amberjack (Wild)
Amberjack in Fukuoka is caught regularly, although a lot of aquaculture-raised ones can be found in the market. It does not contain much fat and has a firm delicious taste when compared to hamachi. Wild-caught ones are treated as high-class fish in the market because the number of the catch is less than hamachi and yellowtail amberjack.
ANAGO - Sea Eel
Anago raised from the western offshore of Tsushima with abundant high-quality food has a larger body compared to the common Anago with better fat content. Truly, it is the golden Anago just like its name.
MANAGATSUO - Pompano
This species with great quality are caught in Fukuoka. They are perfect for sashimi and are treated as high-grade fish with many ways to prepare them, such as teriyaki, yuan-yaki, miso-marinated grilled dishes, and so on.
SAWARA - Japanese Spanish Mackerel
Although this fish is known as a mainstay Spring fish, ‘cold’ Japanese Spanish Mackerel caught in the fall and winter are delicious due to their marbling. It is as delicious as sashimi and absolutely exquisite when grilled. There are various known methods of preparing it such as Yuan Yaki with the hint of pumelo flavoring, Saikyo Zuke using sweet Kyoto miso, meuniere, and frying. Also, fresh catches can be enjoyed as sushi or sashimi.
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 the 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.
AJI "OOITA JI AJI" - Horse Mackerel
The Bungo channel is located where the Kuroshio (the warm current flowing from South to North) meets the Seto Inland Sea. It has good water quality and has abundant plankton that serves as food for fish.
Horse Mackerel that grows up in the Bungo channel in Ōita have a good reputation for its fat and good flavor.
MODORIGATSUO - "Returning" Bonito
The delicious ‘returning’ bonito (the bonito that is returning southward in the fall/winter after having gone north in the spring) season has arrived with the fall season at the corner. Bonito of this season have had ample food to eat offering plenty of fatty flesh. This fish is also known as “torogatsuo” (fatty-bonito). Enjoy the different flavors bonito offers between the light fresh early bonito (spring/summer season), as well as the rich buttery flavor of returning bonito.
AWABI - Abalone
In the Chikuzen-sea, there are three sub-species of Awabi, but the Awabi most harvested out of those three is the Kuro-Awabi (Saga, Nagasaki, and Fukuoka: large size of 300g and above).
SHIRO-IKA - Sword Squid
There are many names for sword tip squid. Some regions call them “white squid” because of their white body. Yamaguchi prefecture coast is an area that they migrate to from summer to autumn because of the availability of other small fishes that they feed on.
White squid in Yamaguchi can be caught and kept in good quality because the fishing ground is nearby, so fresh sashimi is recommended. The beautiful transparent flesh of this fish has a good crunchy texture and unique sweetness that can be enjoyed by anyone at any time. It is also perfect for dishes such as tempura, grilled, boiled, or salted.
