At the 14th Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo in Tokyo to be held from 18 to 20 July, some surimi products will be brown rather than the familiar white.
Although Alaska pollock and “itoyori” (threadfin bream) are the most popular surimi materials worldwide, due to their whiteness, texture and formability, some areas in Japan like Nagasaki are traditionally known for “nerimono,” or fish paste products, made of other species.
Nagasaki Kamaboko Cooperative Marine Product Processing Union will be displaying “age-kamaboko,” or deep-fried fishcake, made from sardines and horse mackerel. The company also uses other local fish, including common dolphinfish, Japanese gizzard shad (Nematalosa japonica), flying fish, bullnose ray, scabbard fish, lizardfish, scorpionfish (Lepidotrigla kanagashira) and Japanese butterfish.
Sales Manager Manabu Kawasaki said, “Nutritionally, it’s about the same as surimi made from pollock, but this has the appeal of being a local specialty.”
The company also offers age-kamaboko with burdock root, onions, carrot and green onion mixed in. In Nagasaki, age-kamaboko is eaten as is. But in other areas, it may be cut it up and cooked with vegetable stir-fry or added to oden. Oden is a winter dish of boiled eggs, daikon radish, devils tongue and processed fishcakes stewed in a light dashi broth.
Uwajimaya Co. Ltd. of Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, displayed at the ninth annual Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo, held on 14 to 15 February at ACT Hall in Osaka, but will not be going to Tokyo, as it is far from it’s Shikoku Island base.
The company’s products are made from “jacko” (young sardines) and “hotarujako” (Acropoma japonicum), called glowbelly or lanternbelly in English because they are luminescent (“hotaru” means firefly). When these fish are steamed, mashed into paste, formed and deep-fried the result is “jakoten” (“ten” as in “tempura”).
This can then be cooked in a frypan or grilled and eaten with soy sauce and grated daikon radish. Jakoten can also be added to udon soup or salad. It goes well with alcoholic drinks and is a popular bar snack. Jackoten has a nutty flavor and crunchy texture because the soft bones of the small fish are included. The easily digested bones are a good source of calcium. Uwajimaya offers gobo tempura (jackoten with burdock root), renkon tempura (with lotus root) and jacko katsu (breaded jackoten cutlet).
Uwajimaya is playing up the healthy, local image of what may be called the “whole wheat bread” of surimi by using no artificial ingredients, using organic certified salt from natural salt pans in Australia, and by using organic stevia sweetener (from the Paraguayan stevia rebaudiana plant) instead of sugar.
The company is holding sales events at department stores and supermarkets throughout Western Japan, including at the popular Hankyu and Daimaru department stores and Top World supermarket.
