Chiba Prefecture is blessed with rich nature
including various beautiful shorelines and green hills, and
the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries have long
been active.
There are a lot of products from the sea and riches of soil
and many traditional ways of cooking of them. Chiba proposes
its original dishes or many ways of cooking and eating. |
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| Seafood |
| Surrounded by the ocean in three directions, the
530-km coastline is rich in variations, and on the
Pacific coast where the Black Current and the Kurile
Current meet, various types of fish and shellfish
that inhabit warm currents and cold currents are
caught. In Tokyo Bay, a long bay with calm waves,
short-neck clams and high-quality laver can be harvested.
The ocean surrounding Chiba prefecture is a treasure
house of seafood. |
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| Red sea bream |
| Sea bream is a fish essential for celebratory
occasions, as a symbol of good luck. Related
legends and such make Chiba prefecture strongly
associated with sea breams – in fact, the
sea bream is designated as the prefecture
fish. Being a white fish with firm and sweet
flesh, red sea bream is used for a wide range
of dishes, such as sashimi, grilled fish,
and clear soup. The main fishing grounds are
the Choshi, Uchibo, and Sotobo areas. |
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* The photograph shows “sea bream sashimi.”
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| Bonito |
| Bonito that swim up north and come to the
Japanese coast in early spring are called
Hatsugatsuo [first bonito of the season],
and they have been long enjoyed since the
Edo era. Katsuura fishing harbor is a representative
production area. The fresher the fish, the
clearer the stomach vertical stripes are,
creating a gauge for freshness. The flesh
is red and its rich texture is enjoyed; it
is tasty as sashimi or lightly roasted, dried
and grated, or boiled in square pieces with
soy sauce. |
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* The photograph shows “Western-style lightly
roasted bonito.”
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| Short-neck clam |
| Short-neck clams abundantly inhabit the
tidal land of a long bay, and “clam gathering”
is also enjoyed by many visitors. When plankton,
which clams feed on, rise in number in the
spring, clams become fat and in season. Short-neck
clam is widely used for cooking, such as for
miso soup, clam steamed with sake, rice dish,
tempura, and butter-cooked clam. The main
fishing area is the Tokyo Bay region from
Ichikawa city to Futtsu city. |
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* The photograph shows “Asari Futtsu-don
[rice topped with short-neck clam in a bowl].”
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| Spotlined sardine |
| Sardine, which has long been enjoyed as
one of Chiba’s representative fish, is eaten
raw as sashimi or as vinegared fish. Also,
there are many processed products using sardine,
such as minced fish, fish dried whole, and
canned food, presenting diversified tastes.
The main fishing areas are the Choshi and
Kujukuri regions. Furthermore, Chiba prefecture
has the largest water uptake of anchovy, a
family of sardine, in all of Japan. It is
used in various ways, such as fish pickled
with black sesame seeds, and dried fish. |
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* The photograph shows “sardine fishcake
soup.”
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| Abalone |
| Abalone is a marine snail, and there are
three types in Chiba prefecture: Haliotis
discus discus, Haliotis gigantean, and Haliotis
madaka. Abalone lives on reef where there
is abundant seaweed, and it is harvested mainly
by divers. In Chiba prefecture, abalone is
plentiful in the Sotobo area, and it can be
enjoyed as sashimi, steamed with sake, or
even steak. Dried abalone is valued as a high-class
ingredient for Chinese cuisine. |
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* The photograph shows “rice topped
with abalone and other seafood in a bowl.”
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| Lobster |
| Chiba prefecture is the No.1 lobster production
area in Japan. Having vivid colors and a splendid
look, lobster has been an essential item of
festivities since long ago. The main production
area is the Sotobo region from Isumi city
to Minamiboso city. Lobster is caught using
a gill net or the like. It can be cooked in
various ways but to enjoy its beauty, try
it as sashimi or grilled in two halves. |
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* The photograph shows “rice topped with
lobster in a bowl.”
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| Kinmedai (Beryx splendes) |
| Kinmedai is a fish with vivid colors, a
vermeil body and golden eyes. The main fishing
area in Chiba prefecture is in the offing
of Choshi, Katsuura, and Tateyama. Kinmedai
is fished up by vertical net fishing from
100 to 500m deep. The flesh is white, and
popular ways of cooking include boiling with
soy sauce or as a hotpot, sashimi, and sushi,
or even with rice with the whole fish. Shabushabu
has recently become a new way of enjoying
Kinmedai. |
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* The photograph is “steamed Kinmedai with
a whole egg.”
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| Saury |
| Saury is a fish that represents autumn.
Harvesting starts in mid-August, in
the area from Minamichishima to the
offing of Hokkaido. In late autumn,
saury gradually swim down south, making
the offing of Choshi a new fishing ground.
Saury, salted and grilled, cooked with
soy sauce, or dried and grilled, is
delicious – eating a fresh one as sashimi
is exceptional. |
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| Mackerel |
| Mackerel comes in two types: chub
mackerel, and southern mackerel, which
has a round body and spots on the abdomen.
Mackerel in season is fatty and delicious.
Grilled, boiled, vinegared, or dried
– its unique flavor can be enjoyed in
various ways. |
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| Yellowtail |
| Yellowtail is named differently in
Japanese, according to growth phases
and different areas – “Wakashi,” “Inada,”
“Warasa,” and “Buri,” in the Kanto area,
for example. In Chiba prefecture, yellowtail
is caught mainly in the phases of Inada
and Warasa. Being fatty and tasty especially
in the winter, yellowtail is outstanding
not only as sashimi, but also grilled
or boiled. |
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| Flounder |
| Well-known as a high-class white fish.
Especially in the winter, flounder is
delicious due to its firm flesh and
extra fattiness. Commonly served raw,
as sashimi or sushi. |
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