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Spangled emperor       Jun.2024 issue No.246

 White tilefish       May.2024 issue No.245

 Raw herring       Apr.2024 issue No.244

Brushtooth Lizardfish eaten raw  Mar.2024 issue No.243

Okhotuk atka mackeraldishs  Feb.2024 issue No.242

What I was thinking back then is now...Jan.2024 issue No.241

Is this main character?  Dec.2023 issue No.240

The origin of the land og the rising sun  Nov.2023 issue No.239

Domestic farmed raw salmon  Oct.2023 issue No.238

Scorpion fish S.K.U. Sep.2023 issue No.237

Omnidirectional Sushi Hachimori Aug.2023 issue No.236

Farmed filefish sashimi & sushi Jul.2023 issue No.235

Rare fish in the Ariake Sea Jun.2023 issue No.234

Mehikari (Greeneyes) Cuisinei May.2023 issue No.233

Spotless smooth-hand sashimi & sushi Apr.2023 issue No.232

Seilfish dishes Mar.2023 issue No.231

King Crab members Feb.2023 issue No.230

Minimum assorted sashimi Jan.2023 issue No.229

Sailfin porcher sashimi & sushi Dec.2022 issue No.228

Red snow crab & Sakaiminato Nov.2022 issue No.227

Tiger puffer sashimiOct.2022 issue No.226

Pacific saury nigiri sushiSep.2022 issue No.225

Omotenashi syunsen assorted sashimi Aug.2022 issue No.224

Syunsen assorted sashimi Jul.2022 issue No.223

Red spotted grouperJun.2022 issue No.222

War & fish May.2022 issue No.221

Japanese whiting dishs Apr.2022 issue No.220

Japanese littleneck clam in seawater bag Mar.2022 issue No.219

Broadbanded thorny dishes Feb.2022 issue No.218

How the fisheries section survives Jan.2022 issue No.217

Yellow drum dishes Dec.2021 issue No.216

I wanted to eat spiny lobster, but.. Nov.2021 issue No.215
Sesame macrel is sefe with SeiroganOct.2021 issue No.214
No.213 is not translated into English because of the author's honor.
sashimiRed & white assorted sashimi of boniito & swordtip squid Aug.2021 issue No.212
Liverless unicorn leatherjacket sashimi & sushi Jul.2021 issue No.211
Very big largehead hairtail Jun.2021 issue No.210
Kisslip cuttlefish products May.2021 issue No.209
Young albacore hiratsukuri sashimi Apr.2021 issue No.208
False fusus assotted sashimi Mar.2021 issue No.207
Blue fin searobin figure sashimi Feb.2021 issue No.206
1 slice salmon in 2 days   Jan. 2021 issue No.205
Sandfish sashimi & nigirisushii Dec. 2020 issue No.204
Fish in Aomori Nov. 2020 issue No.203
Rainbow runner sashimi Oct. 2020 issue No.202
Longfinned bulleseye fried skin with scales Sep. 2020 issue No.201
White trevally sashimi & sushiAug. 2020 issue No.200
Gurukun figure sashimi Jul. 2020 issue No.199
Commercialization of Japanese seabass May. 2020 issue No.198
Bonito silver skin sashimi. May. 2020 issue No.197
Coonstripe shrimp sashimi. Apr. 2020 issue No.196
Japanese amberjack products. Mar. 2020 issue No.195
Herring honegiri. Feb. 2020 issue No.194
Fish shop sushi can be savior of fisheries dept. Jan. 2020 issue No.193
Pacific cod hot pot fillet Dec. 2019 issue No.192
The situation of fishfood in Bangkok Nov. 2019 issue No.191
Striped bonito sashimi Oct. 2019 issue No.190
Hanasaki crab with boiled Sep. 2019 issue No.189
Wrasse sushi Aug. 2019 issue No.188
Red sea urchin squid sushi Jul. 2019 issue No.187
Spotted knifejaw sasihimi Jun. 2019 issue No.186
Blue fusilie sasihimi May.2019 issue No.185
Sashimi & sushi made with small blue fin tuna Apr. 2019 issue No.184
Delicious japanese common squid Mar. 2019 issue No.183
Again,what is mentaiko? Feb. 2019 issue No.182
Revitalization of fish shop Jan. 2019 issue No.181
Female is winter , male is summer Dec. 2018 issue No.180
Rich nature & multi-ethnic city vancouver Nov. 2018 issue No.179-2
Going com. change the future of Seallle Nov. 2018 issue No.179-1
Blackfin seabass sashimi & slide Oct. 2018 issue No.178
Gray large-eye bream sashimi & sushi Sep. 2018 issue No.177
Hand-made boiled octopus Aug. 2018 issue No.176
Eel Suchi Assortment Jul. 2018 issue No.175
Variety of Japanese horse mackerel Jun. 2018 issue No.174
Lavender jobfish figure sashimi May 2018 issue No.173
Black seabream cuisine Apr. 2018 issue No.172
Boring clam figure sashimi Mar. 2018 issue No.171
Starry flounder sashimi & nigirisushi Feb. 2018 issue No.170
The style of fish shop sushi Jan. 2018 issue No.169
Value added prodct of snow crab Dec. 2017 issue No.168
One side of Italian fish dish Nov. 2017 issue No.167
White croaker hiratsukuri sashimi・nigirisushi・fillet Oct. 2017 issue No.166
Cornetfish nigiri sushi & usutsukuri sashimi Sep. 2017 issue No.165
Four-line tongue-sole nigiri sushi & usutsukuri sashimi Aug. 2017 issue No.164
Emperor red snapper sashimi Jul. 2017 issue No.163
Damselfish cuisine Jun. 2017 issue No.162
Golden threadfin bream kobujime hiratsukuri sashimi May.2017 issue No.161
Redlip mullet usutsukuri sashimi Apr.2017 issue No.160
Hairy stingfish sashimi Mar.2017 issue No.159
John Dory sashimi & nigirisushi Feb.2017 issue No.158
No.157 is not translated into English because of the author's honor.
White trevelly usutsukuri sashimi Dec.2016 issue No.156
Shaghai crab cuisine Nov.2016 issue No.155
Shaghai fish cuisine Nov.2016 issue No.155-2
Sunrise perch sashimi and sushi Oct.2016 issue No.154
Yellow groupet usutsukuri sashimi Sep.2016 issue No.153
Longtail tuna hiratsukuri sashimi Aug. 2016 issue No.152
Stingray sashimi & sushi Jul.2016 issue No.151
Stingray cuisine Jul.2016 issue No.151-2
Segoshi figure sashimi of Ayu Jun. 2016 issue No.150
Ayu figure sushi Jun.2016 issue No.150-2
Red-spotted rocked grilled sashimi May.2016 issue No.149
Mink whale unesu slice Apr.2016 issue No.148
Nigirisushi and sashimi of Mink whale lean meat Apr.2016 issue No.148-2
Nigirisushi and Broiled hiratsukuri sashimi of Mackerel tuna Mar.2016 issue No.147
Halibut sashimi Feb.2016 issue No.146
Catfish usutukuri sashimi Jan.2016 issue No.145
Catfish Nigirisushi Jan.2016 issue No.145-2
Skewers of abacus ball Dec.2015 issue No.144
Mullet arai sashimi Dec.2015 issue No.144-2
Difference in the fish meal across the sea Nov.2015 issue No.143
Difference in the fish meal across the sea Nov.2015 issue No.143-2
All of sardine(sashimi & nigirisushi)Oct.2015 issue No.142
Figure sales of amberjac slice(Sep.2015 issue No.141)
Indian Mackerel hiratsukuri sashimi (Aug.2015 issue No.140)
Tokobushi abalone assorted sashimi (Jul.2015 issue No.139)
Alive rabbitfish hiratsukuri sashimi (Jun.2015 issue No.138)
Pomfret broiled hiratsukuri sashimi (May.2015 issue No.137)
Fillets with bone,with head of Ruby snapper Apr.2015 issue No.136
The fish-figure of halfbeak sashimi,halfbeak nigirisushi,halfbeak vinegared Mar.2015 issue No.135
Red sea bream nigiri sushi Feb.2015 issue No.134
Recommended raw fish face-fo-face naked selling Jan.2015 issue No.133
Tuskfish usutsukuri sashimi Dec.2014 issue No.132
A fish-figure sashimi of Lobster Nov.2014 issue No.131
Broiled mackerel hiratukurisashimi Oct.2014 issue No.130
Sockeye salmon steak Sep.2014 issue No.129
Carp arai sashimi Aug.2014 issue No.128
Syunsen sashimi assortment Jul.2014 issue No.127
Grenadier anchovy whole fish sashimi Jun.2014 issue No.126
Rockfish sashimi (May.2014 issue No.125)
Sashimi and sushi tilefish seasonal Apr.2014 issue No.124
Assorted sashimi of tuna fullness Mar.2014 issue No.123
A Largescale blackfish nigirisushi of coldest Feb.2014 issue No.122
Unachirashi sushi Jan.2014 issue No.121
The charm of Argentine prawns Dec.2013 issue No.120
Sydney Fishs Market Nov.2013 issue No.119
Raw autumn salmon skinfiring sashimi (Oct.2013 issue No.118)
Greater amberjack toro usutsukurisashimi (Sep.2013 issue No.117)
A sashimi of hiratukuri for the Brassy chub Aug.2013 issue No.116
A sashimi of fish-figure for the Yariika Jul.2013 issue No.115
Gunt sashimi of fish-figure for Leather parboiling Jun.2013 issue No.114
Black scraper usutsukuri sashimi May.2013 issue No.113
The japanese ancyovy nigiri sushi Apr.2013 issue No.112
Syunsen sashimi chirashi sushi Mar.2013 issue No.111
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Welcome to FISH FOOD TIMES


Jul. 2024 issue No.247

Natural Kokanee


Released fish with a long history

I got five Kokaneew fish caught in Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido.

The whole thing was very beautiful, shining with a silvery white color, and I had a very good impression when I saw it. Even when I enlarged the image of one fish, she looked extremely fresh as shown below.

In the fish section of the supermarket I always use, there was a POP sign like the one below on display, and the fish were being sold naked in styrofoam boxes filled with ice water, with the selling price of 398 yen each.

Kokanee came from Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido and had been purchased through a fish market. As mentioned in POP, the author was first attracted by the label that it was natural, and was impressed by its reasonable size, reasonable price, and above all, its silvery white color and outstanding freshness.There was also an explanation that it could be used as sashimi. I received it so I decided to purchase it.

The sockeye salmon commonly found in fish sections is the same species as kokanee. Kokanee is distributed in the United States, Canada, Kamchatka, Hokkaido, etc., and refers to the lake-resident (landlocked) species that lives its entire life in lakes and ponds. On the other hand, sockeye salmon spawn in rivers that flow from the California coast to lakes and ponds in the North Pacific Ocean. The hatched fry enter the lakes and ponds and live there for 1 to 5 years before migrating down to the sea and living in the ocean for 1 to 3 years before migrating upstream to spawn.

The kokanee fish has a long history, having been first transplanted and released into Lake Shikotsu from Lake Akan in Hokkaido in 1894 (Meiji 27). Since then, attempts have been made to establish Kokanee in more than 60 lakes and ponds across the country, and they are now considered an important fishing resource in Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture, Lake Toyako in Hokkaido, Lake Numazawa in Fukushima Prefecture, Lake Chuzenji in Tochigi Prefecture, Lake Ashinoko in Kanagawa Prefecture, Lake Saiko and Lake Motosu in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Lake Aoki in Nagano Prefecture.

In general, wild salmon and trout that grow in the sea may harbor parasites such as Japan Sea tapeworm (a type of tapeworm) and Anisakis, so to avoid food poisoning, wild salmon and trout should not be eaten. When eating raw fish, it is recommended to freeze it first and then use it as sashimi. However, kokanee are born in lakes and do not descend to the sea like sockeye salmon. As the proverb goes, "no fish can live in clear water," and they spend their entire lives in lakes where the water is too pure for other fish species to survive, there is no need to worry about the presence of parasites in kokanee, and they can be eaten raw without having to be frozen.


Freshness judgement

One of the purposes of acquiring the Kokanee this time was to eat them raw, but in fact, due to freshness issues, the first five fish were discarded and replaced with the newly arrived fish.

I bought my first 5 Kokanee fish on Saturday, but the internal organs were flowing without retaining their shape, and all the abdominal bones were floating outside the abdominal cavity, so I had to discard them during the process of removing their bellies. The second time, I went to the store early on Monday morning and was able to get the kokanee that had just arrived from the fish market that morning, without paying for it, by formally exchanging it for my Saturday stock.

Kokanee freshness status
1st time 2nd time

 

However, as you can see in the image above, although the Kokanee I got the 2nd time was better than the one I got the 1st time, the internal organs were still misshapen and the abdominal bones were protruding.

So, the second time I cut open the kokanee's belly and smelled the internal organs, there was no rotten odor at all. My judgment was that this might be a weakness unique to freshwater fish, so I decided to disassemble the three pieces and assess the freshness.

I decided to use three of the five for raw consumption, so I did three pieces disassembling them. After removing the pin bones, they looked like this.

After removing the skin, it looked like this.

I decided that the fish could be eaten raw at this freshness level, so I decided to use one fish for sashimi, sushi, and salad.

The finished product is shown in the image below. For sashimi, I used half the fish, and made two piles of seven pieces of usutsukuri sashimi each, for a total of 14 pieces per fish. For sushi, I cut the half into three kan, for a total of six kan per fish.

Next, for the salad, a whole kokanee is cut into 16 pieces and served with lettuce, sliced onions, and cherry tomatoes.

The above is the finished dish to be eaten raw, and it looks fine. Since I was starting out with concerns about the freshness of the kokanee I purchased, I now need to taste it to see if it will pass for eating raw.

As for me, based on my experience up to now, I have determined that it is possible to eat raw food when judging freshness using five senses such as smell, touch, and sight, excluding the final taste judgment using the tongue. In the end, I decided to try it and then make a decision.

The result was a "pass." It had the distinctive softness of raw salmon and wasn't chewy, but there was no strange odor and it was ripe and full of flavor for a fish of such small size. I was able to eat it all with enjoyment, and I didn't experience any symptoms such as stomach pain or diarrhea even the next day or later.


Grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish

The weight of the five kokanee ranged from 163g for the smallest to 216g for the largest, averaging about 180 to 200g.

Since I used the three larger fish to eat raw, I decided to use the remaining two smaller fish to make grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish, taking advantage of their small size. First, I started by preparing the kokanee grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish.

Preparation work for grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish
1,Press the flat part of the tip of the Deba knife onto the gills. 6,Scrape out the internal organs from inside the abdominal cavity with a toothbrush. At that time, remove as many internal organs as possible while pouring water over them.
2,Using the flat part of the tip of the Deba knife, push the gills down onto the cutting board. 7,Place the kokanee with gills and internal organs removed on a dry towel.
3,While holding the gills with a deba knife, shift the fish body to the left and separate the gills and some of the internal organs from the fish body. 8,Place a dry towel over the kokanee.
4,Hold the deba knife like a reverse-handed knife and cut a few centimeters from the anus towards the head. 9,Wrap the entire kokanee in a towel, pressing firmly especially around the abdomen to remove any moisture.
5,Insert the toothbrush into the abdominal cavity through the incision. 10,We are now ready to do the kokanee grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish.

 

After finishing the preparations for the kokanee dish, I started working on the skewering process. However, this did not turn out the way I expected. The kokanee is so soft that the tail fin doesn't stand up upwards, and instead falls to the side.

I tried several times to get the ideal shape, but eventually gave up and decided that I would be happy if I could express at least a little of the idea that "odorigushi is like a dancing fish," and that I would just let the two fish take their own course, depending on how they would fit on the grill and in the oil. Those who are used to skewering may find the result to be laughable, and I'm embarrassed to show this to my readers, but please bear with me.

Kokanee's grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish production process
1,Skewer the fish using a flat metal skewer and sprinkle salt all over the fish. 1,Skewer the fish using a bamboo skewer and sprinkle salt and pepper all over the fish.
2,Apply cosmetic salt to each fin. 2,Sprinkle the flour evenly over the entire fish.
3,Finished grilling kokanee on the grill. 3,Fry the kokanee in oil at a temperature of 180 degrees.
4,Remove the skewers, shake off the cosmetic salt, and serve on a plate and it's done. 4,Remove the skewers while the fish is still warm, place it on a plate and it's done.

 

When I tasted the finished kokanee grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish dishes, they tasted exactly like salmon or trout.

At home, the author basically eats "Salmon grilled'' every morning. What I buy is not a package of salmon containing two or three slices per pack, but rather about four bags a month of frozen sockeye or silver salmon, half a body in a vacuum bag. I cut this into fillets myself, wrap each piece in film, and store them in the freezer compartment of my refrigerator. Then, the day before I eat it, I transfer the required amount to the refrigerator to slowly defrost it, and then grill it the next morning and eat it almost every day.

As the author who continues to follow such eating habits, when I put my chopsticks into the kokanee grilled whole fish and deep-fried whole fish, I thought, ``Wow, it tastes just like the salmon I eat every morning...'' In other words, I found the taste to be familiar to me and thought that kokanee was a delicious fish.


Marine product logistics and 2024 issues

Thus, I was able to use up five kokanee in my cooking, but what was disappointing was that the inside of the abdominal cavity of the kokanee I had purchased was not particularly fresh. If the internal organs weren't misshapen and the abdominal bones weren't sticking out of the abdominal cavity, the taste of kokanee would have been so good that it would have been rated higher, but all I can say is that it's a shame.

When I first bought Kokanee on Saturday, I was so disappointed with its condition that I immediately threw it away. I also confirmed that the kokanee I purchased on my second visit had just arrived at the store from the fish market on Monday, and the freshness was not much different from the one I bought on Saturday. In other words, it has been proven that the deterioration in freshness is not due to kokanee being stored for a long time in the store.

Also, on Saturday, I contacted the store with a message with an image showing the freshness of the kokanee. It seems that the fish market has also been informed of this by the store, so I believe that the fish market must be taking measures based on this series of events. Based on this premise, the next question that arises is how many days it took for the goods to transport from Hokkaido to Kyushu, which is the previous step.

From April 2024, the upper limit on overtime hours for drivers will be capped at 960 hours, and laws related to work style reform will become mandatory in the logistics industry. And I think it's not inconceivable that one of the reasons is that they haven't been able to adequately respond to this issue.

Under the new Work Style Reform Act, truck drivers are required to take a 30-minute break for every four hours of driving, and there are now cases where two drivers are required to transport in relay format, even for distances that they previously were able to drive alone without any problems. If transport is to be carried out with breaks in between or in a relay format, the transportation time will be longer than before, and there are concerns that transportation costs will increase due to increased labor costs.

In addition, transportation of seafood has its own unique circumstances at fish markets, such as ``shipment quantities are not confirmed until the last minute'' and ``unloading time at fish markets is long.''Currently, most of the transportation of marine products relies on truck transportation, and the longer it takes for fish to be transported, the greater the risk of the fish becoming less fresh or not being delivered in time for auction.

For example, even if fishermen try to send fresh seafood from production areas in Hokkaido or Kyushu to urban areas, if they cannot find an effective method, there is a risk that the freshness of the fish will decrease, and if the fish loses its freshness, they may not be able to compete properly with rival businesses. This risk becomes more pronounced the greater the distance between production areas and major urban consumption areas, such as in Hokkaido and Kyushu.

The kokanee I handled this time was from Lake Shikotsu in Hokkaido. We can only guess when the fish left Hokkaido, what route it took, and what main means of transportation it used to get to Kyushu. However, I suspect that most of the transportation was by truck.

Kokanee was born and raised around Lake Shikotsu, which is filled with beautiful, pure water, so it is a real shame that it cannot show its true form. I really wanted to write about the kokanee I dealt with this time in the July 2024 issue of FISH FOOD TIMES, so I proceeded with the cooking process a little aggressively and made sashimi, sushi, and salad. However, if an ordinary person who did not have much experience in determining freshness had looked at the state of the inside of the abdominal cavity of this kokanee in the same way as raw mackerel, he would not have had the courage to make it into sashimi.

As a result, I was able to eat kokanee in sashimi, sushi, and salad without any problems, and I did not experience any physical abnormalities afterward, so the freshness of the food was acceptable for raw consumption. However, if Hokkaido producers intend to steadily sell kokanee produced in Lake Shikotsu in Kyushu in the future, I think they will need to take measures to improve the current logistics issues.

I think there are several options for how to deal with this issue, but I would like to close this month's issue by writing down some recently released hot information below for your reference.

JAL has announced that it will enhance its air-ground integrated transportation service "HakoJET" in collaboration with Roofe Co., Ltd., and launch a new delivery service called "J-AIR Direct Fresh Service" on June 17th, specializing in transporting local specialty products while maintaining their freshness.

Until now, when using air cargo transport, it was necessary to make separate arrangements for air transport and ground transport. This transportation method will enable "air-land integrated logistics" that connects JAL's domestic flight network with Roofee's shippers, and will provide new value in the form of Japan's first same-day delivery matching service for three temperature zones that allows customers to specify the time even over long distances. The specific image posted on the J-AIR website is as shown in the figure below.

The terms of use for the J-AIR Direct Fresh service are as follows:

As for the actual shipping costs, they are likely to vary depending on the shipper's products and volume, so it is difficult to state them here. I have some doubts as to whether kokanee, which was sold for 398 yen per fish, can meet the shipping cost of this direct fresh service, but I would like to record this as the latest information for now.

I look forward to the day when I will be able to handle kokanee sent from Hokkaido while still being extremely fresh.


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Date of updating 1 Jul. 2024

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