oyster season in Japan
Japan has four very distinct seasons and everybody has their special favorite. The summers are hot and sticky, the winters are cold and snowy. The spring and fall are both big changes, and you can see it everywhere.
A great thing about Japan’s four seasons is that there is seasonal food! There's a season for just about every kind of food imaginable. Winter is Oyster season. Some people say you only eat oysters in R months. In Japan, there is similar proverb, “do not eat oysters after cherry blossom (April)”. It means the best months to eat oysters are January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December. Of course the "R Rule" made more sense during the days before modern refrigeration. Nowadays, most acknowledge that oysters can be eaten year-round without any issues.
In the fall, i.e. from now until March, you start to see oysters in season again. It's kaki (oyster) season. It is a delicious treat called kaki-fry, deep fried oysters. One of the best ways to enjoy oysters in Japan is in kaki nabe (oyster stew). Kaki Shigureni Chazuke, simmered Uramura oysters and fresh ginger smothered in a thick, sweet soy sauce served on a bowl of rice, would be your choice if your appetite is small. This is a light meal, but it gives you a nice boost of energy in the summer heat.
The most well known Japanese oyster in the United States is the “kumamoto oyster”. The meat is plump and succulent. The flavor is clean, rich and briny. The shell is small but has a deep cup that is fluted and sculptured. The history of the Kumamoto oyster is very interesting. 50 years ago, Japanese oyster cultivators started exporting Kumamoto oysters to California, dreaming of growing their businesses. However, Americans discovered that they could cultivate kumamoto oysters in California, which led to cheaper and fresher domestic kumamoto oysters. This caused the disappearance of kumamoto oyster cultivation in Japan. Recently, Japanese people who had eaten Kumamoto oysters in the United States began creating a demand for Kumamoto oysters in Japan. So, the Kumamoto prefecture started cultivating kumamoto oysters and hopefully it will be at the market this season.
The Kumamoto oyster is an exotic miniature variety of what is called the Pacific or Japanese oyster. Kumamotos differ from their northern cousins in several ways: They have a superior palatability, are smaller, deeper cupped, have a longer shelf-life, and are always in season.
Kumamotos from Tillamook Bay are mildly fruity and sweet with a rich butter-cream texture. Their size, texture and flavor makes them a favorite of half-shell connoisseurs, and, the best choice for the-first-time oyster experience.
Due to post-war industrial pollution, Kumamotos became extinct in their native waters. Pacific Northwest farmers have kept the species alive. There are now Kumamoto oyster restoration projects in Japan.
When Japanese people eat fresh oysters, they serve them with ponzu sauce (citric vinegar sauce) called “sugaki” which “cooks” the oysters.
Oysters, are easily digested and contain an excellent balance of nutrition. In western countries, oysters are called the "Milk of the Sea", because oysters are as nutritious as milk. Recent studies, however, have revealed that the tasty clams are even more abundant in various nutrients than milk. The following is a list of the notable nutrients in oysters. - Glycogen Glycogen is a carbohydrate stored in animal tissues and becomes glucose when absorbed by humans to provide energy. The intake of glycogen strengthens the function of liver.
The protein in the oyster contains some amino acids such as glutaminic acid, cysteine, and taurine etc. These amino acids may sever to neutralize poisons, and eliminate the poisonous matter from body. - Vitamins and Minerals Oysters contain Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, and C. Zinc, a requirement for human growth, good blood flow and sexual maturity, is also present. Calcium, iodine, and iron are also plentiful in oysters. In addition to these abundant nutrients, oysters are easier to be digested than other shellfish, so they are easily absorbed by children and elders.
Miyagi Prefecture supplied 70 percent of Japan’s seed oysters before suffering extensive tsunami damage. Other prefectures are now scrambling to secure juvenile oysters, as summer is the season for suspending them from floats in the ocean.
In Japanese mariculture, oysters are attached to lines suspended from floating bamboo or wooden rafts. The rafts allow three-dimensional use of ocean space for dense cultivation and can be moved to avoid red tides and parasite concentrations. However, they are susceptible to damage from typhoons. In Miyagi Prefecture, most rafts were sunk or carried to sea by the March 11 tsunami.
The Sanriku region of Japan is one of the most famous oyster growing areas in the world, and twice in the past, they have helped oyster men in France repopulate their stock after disease had wiped it out. Now, after the tsunami, the French are returning the favor. However, the Japanese are in a race against time in that they need to get their oyster farms rebuilt by mid Summer, which is when they have their spat set (when the oyster larvae are released and look for a home).
Sources:
WOM guide
pcsga.net
InAHalfShell
J-COLLABO.COM
Metropolis
Ise Kadoya
healthhokkaid
hayesoyster.com
Lowcountrycatch
Japan has four very distinct seasons and everybody has their special favorite. The summers are hot and sticky, the winters are cold and snowy. The spring and fall are both big changes, and you can see it everywhere.
A great thing about Japan’s four seasons is that there is seasonal food! There's a season for just about every kind of food imaginable. Winter is Oyster season. Some people say you only eat oysters in R months. In Japan, there is similar proverb, “do not eat oysters after cherry blossom (April)”. It means the best months to eat oysters are January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December. Of course the "R Rule" made more sense during the days before modern refrigeration. Nowadays, most acknowledge that oysters can be eaten year-round without any issues.
In the fall, i.e. from now until March, you start to see oysters in season again. It's kaki (oyster) season. It is a delicious treat called kaki-fry, deep fried oysters. One of the best ways to enjoy oysters in Japan is in kaki nabe (oyster stew). Kaki Shigureni Chazuke, simmered Uramura oysters and fresh ginger smothered in a thick, sweet soy sauce served on a bowl of rice, would be your choice if your appetite is small. This is a light meal, but it gives you a nice boost of energy in the summer heat.
The most well known Japanese oyster in the United States is the “kumamoto oyster”. The meat is plump and succulent. The flavor is clean, rich and briny. The shell is small but has a deep cup that is fluted and sculptured. The history of the Kumamoto oyster is very interesting. 50 years ago, Japanese oyster cultivators started exporting Kumamoto oysters to California, dreaming of growing their businesses. However, Americans discovered that they could cultivate kumamoto oysters in California, which led to cheaper and fresher domestic kumamoto oysters. This caused the disappearance of kumamoto oyster cultivation in Japan. Recently, Japanese people who had eaten Kumamoto oysters in the United States began creating a demand for Kumamoto oysters in Japan. So, the Kumamoto prefecture started cultivating kumamoto oysters and hopefully it will be at the market this season.
The Kumamoto oyster is an exotic miniature variety of what is called the Pacific or Japanese oyster. Kumamotos differ from their northern cousins in several ways: They have a superior palatability, are smaller, deeper cupped, have a longer shelf-life, and are always in season.
Kumamotos from Tillamook Bay are mildly fruity and sweet with a rich butter-cream texture. Their size, texture and flavor makes them a favorite of half-shell connoisseurs, and, the best choice for the-first-time oyster experience.
Due to post-war industrial pollution, Kumamotos became extinct in their native waters. Pacific Northwest farmers have kept the species alive. There are now Kumamoto oyster restoration projects in Japan.
When Japanese people eat fresh oysters, they serve them with ponzu sauce (citric vinegar sauce) called “sugaki” which “cooks” the oysters.
Oysters, are easily digested and contain an excellent balance of nutrition. In western countries, oysters are called the "Milk of the Sea", because oysters are as nutritious as milk. Recent studies, however, have revealed that the tasty clams are even more abundant in various nutrients than milk. The following is a list of the notable nutrients in oysters. - Glycogen Glycogen is a carbohydrate stored in animal tissues and becomes glucose when absorbed by humans to provide energy. The intake of glycogen strengthens the function of liver.
The protein in the oyster contains some amino acids such as glutaminic acid, cysteine, and taurine etc. These amino acids may sever to neutralize poisons, and eliminate the poisonous matter from body. - Vitamins and Minerals Oysters contain Vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, and C. Zinc, a requirement for human growth, good blood flow and sexual maturity, is also present. Calcium, iodine, and iron are also plentiful in oysters. In addition to these abundant nutrients, oysters are easier to be digested than other shellfish, so they are easily absorbed by children and elders.
Miyagi Prefecture supplied 70 percent of Japan’s seed oysters before suffering extensive tsunami damage. Other prefectures are now scrambling to secure juvenile oysters, as summer is the season for suspending them from floats in the ocean.
In Japanese mariculture, oysters are attached to lines suspended from floating bamboo or wooden rafts. The rafts allow three-dimensional use of ocean space for dense cultivation and can be moved to avoid red tides and parasite concentrations. However, they are susceptible to damage from typhoons. In Miyagi Prefecture, most rafts were sunk or carried to sea by the March 11 tsunami.
The Sanriku region of Japan is one of the most famous oyster growing areas in the world, and twice in the past, they have helped oyster men in France repopulate their stock after disease had wiped it out. Now, after the tsunami, the French are returning the favor. However, the Japanese are in a race against time in that they need to get their oyster farms rebuilt by mid Summer, which is when they have their spat set (when the oyster larvae are released and look for a home).
Sources:
WOM guide
pcsga.net
InAHalfShell
J-COLLABO.COM
Metropolis
Ise Kadoya
healthhokkaid
hayesoyster.com
Lowcountrycatch
I was looking for information on the oyster in Japan. Thank you!
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