The squid of Yobuko is famous throughout Japan, and the taste of its clear, transparent squid is so shockingly good that once you have tasted it, you will never forget it.
Even though Yobuko, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, is a small town with a population of 5,000, it is a squid town that attracts about 1 million tourists a year.
In this article, you will learn why Yobuko squid is so delicious, which you should know before eating it.
I will write about the particulars of Yobuko squid and some trivia.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
- People who want trivia about squid
- People who are interested in squid in Yobuko
- Person who is going to travel to Yobuko
- People who want to eat squid after getting knowledge of squid
目次
Explains why squid in Yobuko is so delicious! Also recommends restaurants!
Blessed waters of the Genkai Sea
The Genkainada Sea stretches across the northwestern part of Kyushu, where the continental shelf extends and the Tsushima Current flows.
It is one of the most famous fishing grounds in the world.
The Genkai Sea is fed by the Tsushima Current.
There are four ocean currents in Japan
The Japan Current (Kuroshio), which flows northward from the south, and the Tsushima Current (Kuroshio)
The Kurushima Current (Oyashio), which flows southward from the north
The Liman Current (cold current) flows through the Sea of Japan.
The Tsushima Current is a warm current (Kuroshio) that flows northward from western Kagoshima through the narrow waters of the Nagasaki and Saga islands.
It is a nutrient for a wide variety of fish and shellfish, including squid.
Oyashio tastes better than Kuroshio. It is said that the fish taste better in the Oyashio than in the Kuroshio.
Which is better, squid from Hokkaido or squid from Yobuko, Saga Prefecture?
This question unfortunately cannot be answered.
Because they are different kinds!
- Japanese common squid
- spear squid (Loligo bleekeri)
- Swordtip squid
- Firefly squid
- oval squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana)
- Cuttlefish
- * It is said that there are actually more than 140 species of cuttlefish, but the famous ones that are often eaten are listed above.
In fact, the squid eaten in Yobuko is called kensaki squid, while the squid eaten in Hokkaido is surumeika or spear squid, which are completely different types.
Both types of squid are undoubtedly delicious, but they have different textures and tastes.
Difference between swordtip squid and Japanese common squid!
Yobuko swordtip squid is a sticky, sweet squid with a characteristic of remaining sweetness and not becoming hard even when heated.
It can be eaten as sashimi, tempura, stir-fried, or any other dish.
On the other hand, Surume-ika squid has a pleasant crunchy texture, and dried or grilled squid can be enjoyed for its texture.
Because of its large size, it is often used to make salted squid. Of course, sashimi is also available. Personally, I think Surume-ika sashimi tastes best in winter.
Sword tip squid is the highest quality product.
Among squid, kensaki squid is said to be the finest. Its taste is rich in free amino acids, the source of sweetness, and the unique sweetness of sashimi is especially exquisite.
It is low in fat and calories, yet high in protein, and can be eaten as tempura with a light, refreshing taste.
Dried swordtip squid is called “ichiban surume” (the best dried squid) because of its delicious taste.
Sword tip squid is available in Nagasaki, Saga, and Fukuoka in Kyushu.
It is also available in Yamaguchi and Shimane in Honshu.
Efforts of fishermen and restaurants.
Squid are very naive creatures.
In fact, squid are so naïve creatures that they can burn themselves just by touching a human hand.
There is a story about an angler who fishes for squid and releases it, but it can burn just by touching it with a human hand.
Just touching them on hot concrete or rocks can be fatal. Many squids will likely die even if they are released.
Because squid are such naïve creatures, squid fishermen take the utmost care in their squid fishing.
They do not touch the squid they catch, but put them in a fish tank to keep them fresh.
Fishing port and restaurant locations
As you can see, Yobuko has a boat dock and restaurants next to each other.
This is due to Yobuko’s unique distribution route, in which squid is not auctioned at the fishing port after being caught, but is delivered directly to contracted restaurants.
This means that squid caught with the utmost care are transferred live to the restaurant’s fish tank.
The restaurants also make an effort to keep the food fresh, and they create an environment as close to the sea as possible by pumping seawater from the sea in front of their fish tanks.
There are many restaurants that have fish tanks in the ocean.
Have you ever had a goldfish at a festival die in your aquarium at home?
The truth is that fish are sensitive to changes in water quality, and they get stressed if the water quality or temperature changes suddenly.
Some fish even die due to stress.
The Yobuko fish tank is designed to reproduce the environment of the sea in which the fish used to swim by pumping up seawater right in front of it, and to avoid stressing the fish as much as possible.
That’s why squid from Yobuko is delicious!
As described above, the blessed environment and the efforts of fishermen and restaurants have made it possible to provide fresh, fresh squid.
As well as the original natural environment, you can feel their passion for squid, such as their unique delivery route that wholesales directly to restaurants without auctioning.
If you are interested in trying squid from Yobuko, please refer to the following article! please read the following article as well.
