Tsukiji Wonderland Page #3

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and freshness added value to fish.

In the old days quick transport

and freshness added value to fish.

Now it's all about keeping the fish

pristine when harvesting and

using the spinal cord treatment.

The fish we eat is more processed

than before.

More people are involved in keeping

the fish delicious.

In old days, when people

preserved fish

it was being aged at the same time.

But it was not intentional.

People in the know today

consciously age the fish.

"Sushi Sh0"

This yellowtail was aged at

Tsukiji for a couple of days.

We'll age it further.

It's perfectly good as it is but

we'll age it for one more week.

It'll be like this in a week.

See?

Fresh yellowtail isn't as tasty.

So you age it for sashimi.

And you age it longer for sushi.

You make it more acidic.

The surface is brown.

It looks nice inside.

I'll work on this cut.

I'll parboil and marinate it

before aging it further.

I match the fish's acidity with the

intensity of the vinegar in my sushi rice.

The food we serve must

leave the customer content.

A chef's pleasure shouldn't be in

showing off his crafts.

The pleasure should be in

the customer's enjoyment.

That's our purpose.

The baton's passed from the fishermen

to the intermediate wholesalers, to us.

When the yellowtail's fatty,

it's the season to grill it.

So when is it good for sushi?

It shouldn't be too fatty

and it should be acidic and

have a reddish tint.

Japan's distinctive seasons

give us seasonal specialities.

There's the seasonal fish and the first

catch of the season.

People care about what fish

is seasonal.

My mentor once told me

to think about a fish's seasonality.

There are IO days in a year when

fish tastes its best.

Sometimes the fish's season passes

before you know it.

But good vendors know the season

and advise the customers.

Look at these shellfish.

They're in season now.

Dead shellfish are worthless.

Their quality depends on how long

they're kept alive.

Harumi sushi"

See the white dots?

These cockle clams have eggs.

They're at their best

when they are bearing eggs.

Some clams aren't at their best

then but

when they are bearing eggs

They're tender and plump.

Zezankyo"

It's about seasons.

March is icefish season

so we get inquiries about them.

Look at them, they're so tiny.

But they're adults.

Their ripe and rich taste

will surprise you.

Immature fish don't have such

a rich flavor.

Frying in batter both heats

a fish directly and steams it.

Frying gets rid of excess moisture

and highlights the flavor.

That's frying.

In a bad weather some fish like

sweetfish can be tricky to procure.

So I'd consult intermediate

wholesalers.

They're mostly good.

I have some of the better ones for you.

Thank you!

It's for you.

Sweetfish season starts in June

and are caught in rivers.

So I get the wild fish for him.

You let the charcoal settle a bit

in order for the fish to

get nicely seared-.

These fish only live one short year.

They look lean but they're vital.

It's like eating the four seasons

that they lived.

We have a 20-year relationship.

It's him I go to see

not the fish he sells.

Because I can rely on him.

Pike congers"

Pike congers are common

in the west.

Now there are good ones

available at Tsukiji.

They're in season now,

from summer to autumn-.

I filleted and sliced it super-finely

and boiled it.

I mix sieved plums

with dashi stock and soy sauce

and place it on top.

Then I add minced shiso

leaves, myoga and wasab/I

In summer time,

we enjoy fresh and light flavors.

It's boiled hamo.

Eat it while it's hot.

Namiyoke shrine"

Typhoon number I8 is approaching.

Secure your containers.

A very large typhoon

is forecast to approach.

It's a wonderland for me.

They have things that local

supermarkets don't have.

Tsukiji's essential for my work.

Remember the white squid?

That was good!

But you boiled it!

It was nice and sweet...

No matter what you do

it's good.

I know why you did it but...

I shouldn't have?

At first, some guys looked scary...

But they were helpful when I asked

questions.

I get a hands-on education

at Tsukiji.

Saury...

I just can't resist it

when autumn comes.

Sauries are at their best

in late August, early September.

Saury, mackerel, bonito

barracuda and butterfish.

They're all autumn fish.

They're local and

they taste great in autumn.

Osamu Shimazu

Intermediate Wholesaler

ESqUISSE"

Scallops arrive at ESqUISSE alive.

We put them in kelp stock

We put them in kelp stock

which they absorb when their

shells close.

We sous- vide them at 53 degrees

for at least 45 minutes.

In France most chefs

buy ingredients through middlemen.

But I want to choose them myself.

Are they bigger this time?

They're the same size.

200 grams.

Most intermediate wholesalers

have been to my restaurant.

In order to understand our work.

To understand

what we do with fish.

He's the man I trust the most.

We have a solid relationship.

When I tell him what

dish I have in mind

he'll advise me on what

ingredients to use.

No middlemen are as knowledgeable.

The Japanese say

salt and plum"

The Japanese say

salt and plum"

to describe saltiness

and tartness.

A magic balance of great food.

So I use orange for tartness.

Green peppercorn and anchovy

for saltiness.

Tsukiji motivates me.

It's natural produce so

it's unpredictable.

It's fun going there.

I talk to the intermediate wholesalers-.

I get to observe other cooks

and see what they buy-.

All of that motivates me.

A mysterious bond with the sea.

Every Japanese has it.

We have more variety of fish

available in winter.

We have more variety of fish

available in winter.

Like anglerfish and grouper.

Red tilefish and butterfish.

Their flesh gets firmer and fattier

in the cold.

Fish are fattier in winter.

And they're easier to handle.

There's no saving a bad fatty fish.

UMiyQShiu

I buy from a intermediate wholesaler

I trust.

Tsukiji is trustworthy especially

in terms of food safety.

Detoxification center"

I get information about new poisonous

pufferfish from them.

I ask the owner of the shop

to choose the best fish to buy.

I only buy pufferfish from a licensed

vendor at Tsukiji because I trust him.

In the old days chefs bought from

Tsukiji, then it was the harvesters.

Now we've gone back to buying

pufferfish from Tsukiji.

The drastic climatic change is

beyond our understanding.

So we need the intermediate

wholesalers' insight.

So we need the intermediate

wholesalers' insight.

When fish spawn

they begin storing fat

a few months ahead of time.

That's why they become fatty.

- Are there good mackerels?

- I handpicked some for you.

Thank you.

They handle so many fish

they know everything.

If the fish is bad

they tell you.

They know and suggest when

is the best for each fish.

Ginza Kojyu"

The abdomen's glistening with fat.

It'd be good for sashimi

or sushi.

Rosy seabass has a gelatinous

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