Fukuoka’s Fresh Fish Marke

Oct 24, 2011 19:15 댓글 없음
6723
6724

Something Smells Fishy Here!

From ramen to shochu and the hearty fare of its sidewalk stalls, Hakata is a gourmand’s delight, but a listing of the local menu is incomplete without fresh seafood. Fronting the Korean Strait and Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a cornucopia of fresh finfish and shellfish year round, but the flavors of such treats as mackerel, deep sea bass, and blowfish are at their most succulent in winter. Fukuoka Now presents the local piscine panorama by covering the waterfront at the Fukuoka Fish Market–the seafood clearinghouse for the city and Western Japan.

The Fukuoka area has prospered as a coastal metropolis since the 12th century, when today’s Hakata Bay was known as Sode no Minato, and before, when envoys were sent to T’ang Dynasty China more than a millenium ago. The maritime location naturally shaped local dietary habits, and Fukuoka became a major seafood consumption region. Now, in addition to the Korean Strait, the Japan Sea, and the East China Sea, fresh seafood arrives from every Kyushu seaport to be served in eateries or the table at home.
The ready availability of different shellfish led to the creation of distinctive local dishes found nowhere else in Japan–Iwashi no Chirinabe, with real sardines, and Gomasaba, made with raw mackerel sprinkled with sesame and steeped in soy sauce.
How does the seafood used for sashimi or in piping hot nabemono arrive on your table? Your intrepid reporters braved the winter cold to learn the secrets of the trade.

************************************************************

Fukuoka Now Trolls the Market

The Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market in Nagahama is a bustling hive of commotion where upwards of 8,000 people converge on a given day. This gigantic market handles more seafood than any other in Japan. It is an amazing sight, but unfortunately one not open to visits by the general public. Despite this restriction, Fukuoka Now was able to sneak in reporters to witness the hectic activities. We stayed up all night to bring you the lowdown on the market denizens, handling the fish, and the secret auctioneer’s code.

That’s right ミ the auctioning started at 3:00 a.m. That ain’t early ミ that’s the middle of the night! The auctioneer’s hammer starts falling earlier here than any other market in Japan ミ two hours before the start of auctions at the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo. And the market is already filled at that hour with people and fish, with the horse mackerel and sardines unloaded from the docks, scales glistening in the moonlight.

The workers transferring the catch from boat to box for auction create the picture of efficiency. Fish are loaded on a conveyor belt to be skillfully sorted by a battalion of middle-aged female workers indifferent to the chilly winter wind.

The fish are snuggly packed into boxes for auction. These boxes are scattered around the vast market in great mounds resembling islands for separate auctions conducted by type. There are four major types–blue fish (mackerel, sardines, horse mackerel), colored seafood (sea bream, yellowtail, squid)–further broken down into offshore and deep sea varieties–larger fish, such as tuna, and a special classification for shellfish and crabs.

As the fish are unloaded and sorted, the sequence of auctions is already underway. Here the auction for young tuna is about to begin. Long rows of fish are packed in boxes and separated by weight. This haul of fish will take a mere 10 minutes to auction off.

The auctioneer dons a white cap and climbs nimbly to the top of the boxes. Jabbing his finger in the air, he barks out the fucho, the market’s special method for expressing figures. Prices are settled in a code-like jargon rather than the conventional terms of thousands of yen per kilogram. Profit margins for buyer and seller are determined in an instant. Those caught napping can lose their shirts!

The auction is the market’s great spectacle. It takes at least three years of training with a wholesaler to become an auctioneer capable of running this show. Only after passing a test can the trainees wear the auctioneer’s white cap. The requirements for quickly determining the winning bid include visual acuity and a keen discernment. It’s a demanding profession, and most people bow out by the age of 40. Today, about 100 auctioneers employ their skills at the Nagahama market.

Brokers bid at auction on items offered by wholesale companies. The fish sold at auction in the market will be immediately sent to local wholesale shops on the premises. About half the seafood auctioned off in the market is sold to these wholesalers, with the rest being shipped to markets throughout Japan.

There are about 40 wholesale shops, each specializing in different seafood varieties. Some deal in dried fish rather than fresh fish. Starting at about 5:00 a.m., buyers begin arriving from supermarkets and fresh fish shops to purchase their day’s supply. The market closes for the day anywhere from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The energetic merchants are wide awake and driven by a full adrenaline rush at 5:00 a.m. Both the fish and the people working in the market glow with that look of Hakata health. While market auctions have remained unchanged for years, the market itself has incorporated high-tech equipment, such as a computer-controlled interior cooling system and electric shutters to prevent the fish from drying out. This shows the market spares no effort to maintain its position as Kyushu’s port of entry for seafood.

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

冬こそ魚! 旬の季節の魚市場を行く

ラーメン、焼酎、屋台など、博多の名物は数あれど、忘れちゃいけないのは「新鮮な海の幸」。玄界灘や博多湾を擁し、一年を通じて豊富な魚介類が手に入る福岡の街にあって、冬こそそのおいしさが最高潮に達するまさに「旬」。真サバやアラ、ふぐなどこの季節にこそ味わいたい逸品が目白押しだ。フクオカナウではおいしい魚を味わうための“いろは”のい、福岡の魚市場にスポットを当てて真冬のお魚事情を徹底取材!

現在の博多港一帯が「袖の湊(そでのみなと)」と呼ばれた12世紀、さらには「那の津」として栄えた遣唐使の時代から、福岡の地は海に向かって開かれた街として繁栄を続けてきた。そのような環境は当然食生活にも深く影響し、福岡の街は魚の一大消費地として発展。現在では玄界灘や日本海、東シナ海などはもちろん、九州中の港からも鮮度の良い海産物が運び込まれ、店で食卓で楽しむことが出来る。様々な種類の魚介類が入ってくることで福岡独特の食べ方も生まれ、この土地でしか味わえないおいしさも数多く存在する。例えば、真イワシを使った「イワシ のちり鍋」、生のサバに胡麻をまぶし、醤油づけにしていただく「ごまサバ」などはここ、福岡ならではの調理法である。
そんな福岡の新鮮な刺身、鍋のなかで煮込まれてるぷりぷりの魚介類、それらがどのようにして食卓にあがっているのか? 知りたい! と思ったが運のツキ。寒風吹きすさぶなか、どんなことになったかは次ページからのお楽しみ…

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早い! 大漁! 日本一! 福岡中央卸売市場(超)早朝レポート

長浜に位置し、一日に8,000人もの関係者が出入りする福岡中央卸売市場。なんと水揚げ高は産地市場のなかで日本一! という福岡が誇るべき巨大鮮魚市場なのだ。そこに行けば地元直送の新鮮な魚がさぞやたんまり集まっているだろうな~と思いきや、残念ながら一般の人は立ち入り禁止。ならばフクオカナウが潜入して活気溢れる市場の様子をレポートしようじゃないの! 5時でも6時でも早起きしてガンバリますよ! さてさて、市場にはどんな人たちが集うのか? 魚はどのようにさばかれるのか? そして謎の暗号とせり人って一体??

はーい! 集合は午前3時…早朝、っていうかこれって深夜!? 実は福岡の市場のせり開始時間は日本で一番早く、東京・築地市場よりなんと2時間も前なのだ。き、聞いてないっす~。しかしというか当然ながら、市場の中は人と魚ですでにいっぱい。岸壁では漁船からぴかぴかのアジやイワシがどど~んと水揚げ中。う、鱗がまぶしい…。

漁船から魚をおろして、せり用に箱詰めするまでの作業はとてもシステマティック。ベルトコンベアを駆使しておばちゃん部隊が手際よく魚を仕分け中。吹き付ける海風にも決して負けません。

きれいに箱詰めされてせりを待つ魚たちは、と~れとれぴっちぴち! せりは魚の種類毎に行われるため、ひろーい市場の中に島のように魚箱の山が配置されている。ちなみにその種類とは、青物(サバ・イワシ・アジ等)、色物(タイ・ハマチ・ヤリイカ等。さらに近海もの、遠洋もので分かれる)、太物(まぐろ類)、特種(貝やカニ等)の4種類に分けられる。

漁船から集荷されると同時に、別の場所では既にせりが順番にスタート。こちらではヨコワ(まぐろの子供)がスタンバイ中。等級別(重さ別)に一箱ずつ積み上げられたヨコワの長~い列。これだけの数がものの10分程でせり落とされてしまうのだ。

スピーディーなせりの秘密とは? 白い帽子をかぶり魚箱の上に器用に立ち上がっているのがせり人。勢いよく指を突きだし短くなにかを叫んでいる。実はこれ「符丁(ふちょう)」と呼ばれる市場独特の数字の読み方(下記図参照)なのだ。「何Kg何千円」という代わりに暗号のように符丁を使って値段を決めていく。売る方も買う方も一瞬の真剣勝負! ぼやぼやしてると置いていかれる。

せりは市場におけるハイライト。それを仕切るせり人になる為には卸会社に入り、最低3年の修行が必要とか。その後公的試験を経てようやくせり人のシンボル・白の帽子をかぶることが出来る。素早くせり値を決めるためには優れた動体視力と判断力が必要とされ、現役生活は40歳くらいまでという厳しい世界なのだ。現在、中央卸売市場では100人ほどのせり人が活躍中。

卸会社のせり人から品物をせり落とすのが仲卸業者。市場のあちらこちらでせられた品物は、敷地内にある仲卸店舗にすぐさま運び込まれる。現在、せり落とされた品物の約半分がこの仲卸店舗で販売され、その他は全国各地の市場に出荷されている。

仲卸店舗にもそれぞれ専門があり、全部で40店あまり。鮮魚だけでなく、乾物屋さんなんかもある。5時を過ぎたあたりから各スーパー、鮮魚店の買出人が買い付けに来はじめ、遅くとも朝の10時、早い時には8時くらいで閉店するという。

威勢のいい商売人にあてられて眠気もすっかり吹き飛び、朝の5時からアドレナリン全開。中央卸売市場には魚にも人にも博多の活きの良さがつまっている。昔ながらのせり風景などずっと変わらぬ面がある一方、衛生を保つための低温卸売場や魚の乾燥を防ぐ電動シャッターなど市場内の設備は超ハイテクに進化しつづけていたりもする。そんなところに魚天国博多の玄関口としての心意気を感じた。

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

Something Smells Fishy Here!

From ramen to shochu and the hearty fare of its sidewalk stalls, Hakata is a gourmand’s delight, but a listing of the local menu is incomplete without fresh seafood. Fronting the Korean Strait and Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a cornucopia of fresh finfish and shellfish year round, but the flavors of such treats as mackerel, deep sea bass, and blowfish are at their most succulent in winter. Fukuoka Now presents the local piscine panorama by covering the waterfront at the Fukuoka Fish Market–the seafood clearinghouse for the city and Western Japan.

The Fukuoka area has prospered as a coastal metropolis since the 12th century, when today’s Hakata Bay was known as Sode no Minato, and before, when envoys were sent to T’ang Dynasty China more than a millenium ago. The maritime location naturally shaped local dietary habits, and Fukuoka became a major seafood consumption region. Now, in addition to the Korean Strait, the Japan Sea, and the East China Sea, fresh seafood arrives from every Kyushu seaport to be served in eateries or the table at home.
The ready availability of different shellfish led to the creation of distinctive local dishes found nowhere else in Japan–Iwashi no Chirinabe, with real sardines, and Gomasaba, made with raw mackerel sprinkled with sesame and steeped in soy sauce.
How does the seafood used for sashimi or in piping hot nabemono arrive on your table? Your intrepid reporters braved the winter cold to learn the secrets of the trade.

************************************************************

Fukuoka Now Trolls the Market

The Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market in Nagahama is a bustling hive of commotion where upwards of 8,000 people converge on a given day. This gigantic market handles more seafood than any other in Japan. It is an amazing sight, but unfortunately one not open to visits by the general public. Despite this restriction, Fukuoka Now was able to sneak in reporters to witness the hectic activities. We stayed up all night to bring you the lowdown on the market denizens, handling the fish, and the secret auctioneer’s code.

That’s right ミ the auctioning started at 3:00 a.m. That ain’t early ミ that’s the middle of the night! The auctioneer’s hammer starts falling earlier here than any other market in Japan ミ two hours before the start of auctions at the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo. And the market is already filled at that hour with people and fish, with the horse mackerel and sardines unloaded from the docks, scales glistening in the moonlight.

The workers transferring the catch from boat to box for auction create the picture of efficiency. Fish are loaded on a conveyor belt to be skillfully sorted by a battalion of middle-aged female workers indifferent to the chilly winter wind.

The fish are snuggly packed into boxes for auction. These boxes are scattered around the vast market in great mounds resembling islands for separate auctions conducted by type. There are four major types–blue fish (mackerel, sardines, horse mackerel), colored seafood (sea bream, yellowtail, squid)–further broken down into offshore and deep sea varieties–larger fish, such as tuna, and a special classification for shellfish and crabs.

As the fish are unloaded and sorted, the sequence of auctions is already underway. Here the auction for young tuna is about to begin. Long rows of fish are packed in boxes and separated by weight. This haul of fish will take a mere 10 minutes to auction off.

The auctioneer dons a white cap and climbs nimbly to the top of the boxes. Jabbing his finger in the air, he barks out the fucho, the market’s special method for expressing figures. Prices are settled in a code-like jargon rather than the conventional terms of thousands of yen per kilogram. Profit margins for buyer and seller are determined in an instant. Those caught napping can lose their shirts!

The auction is the market’s great spectacle. It takes at least three years of training with a wholesaler to become an auctioneer capable of running this show. Only after passing a test can the trainees wear the auctioneer’s white cap. The requirements for quickly determining the winning bid include visual acuity and a keen discernment. It’s a demanding profession, and most people bow out by the age of 40. Today, about 100 auctioneers employ their skills at the Nagahama market.

Brokers bid at auction on items offered by wholesale companies. The fish sold at auction in the market will be immediately sent to local wholesale shops on the premises. About half the seafood auctioned off in the market is sold to these wholesalers, with the rest being shipped to markets throughout Japan.

There are about 40 wholesale shops, each specializing in different seafood varieties. Some deal in dried fish rather than fresh fish. Starting at about 5:00 a.m., buyers begin arriving from supermarkets and fresh fish shops to purchase their day’s supply. The market closes for the day anywhere from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The energetic merchants are wide awake and driven by a full adrenaline rush at 5:00 a.m. Both the fish and the people working in the market glow with that look of Hakata health. While market auctions have remained unchanged for years, the market itself has incorporated high-tech equipment, such as a computer-controlled interior cooling system and electric shutters to prevent the fish from drying out. This shows the market spares no effort to maintain its position as Kyushu’s port of entry for seafood.

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

Something Smells Fishy Here!

From ramen to shochu and the hearty fare of its sidewalk stalls, Hakata is a gourmand’s delight, but a listing of the local menu is incomplete without fresh seafood. Fronting the Korean Strait and Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a cornucopia of fresh finfish and shellfish year round, but the flavors of such treats as mackerel, deep sea bass, and blowfish are at their most succulent in winter. Fukuoka Now presents the local piscine panorama by covering the waterfront at the Fukuoka Fish Market–the seafood clearinghouse for the city and Western Japan.

The Fukuoka area has prospered as a coastal metropolis since the 12th century, when today’s Hakata Bay was known as Sode no Minato, and before, when envoys were sent to T’ang Dynasty China more than a millenium ago. The maritime location naturally shaped local dietary habits, and Fukuoka became a major seafood consumption region. Now, in addition to the Korean Strait, the Japan Sea, and the East China Sea, fresh seafood arrives from every Kyushu seaport to be served in eateries or the table at home.
The ready availability of different shellfish led to the creation of distinctive local dishes found nowhere else in Japan–Iwashi no Chirinabe, with real sardines, and Gomasaba, made with raw mackerel sprinkled with sesame and steeped in soy sauce.
How does the seafood used for sashimi or in piping hot nabemono arrive on your table? Your intrepid reporters braved the winter cold to learn the secrets of the trade.

************************************************************

Fukuoka Now Trolls the Market

The Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market in Nagahama is a bustling hive of commotion where upwards of 8,000 people converge on a given day. This gigantic market handles more seafood than any other in Japan. It is an amazing sight, but unfortunately one not open to visits by the general public. Despite this restriction, Fukuoka Now was able to sneak in reporters to witness the hectic activities. We stayed up all night to bring you the lowdown on the market denizens, handling the fish, and the secret auctioneer’s code.

That’s right ミ the auctioning started at 3:00 a.m. That ain’t early ミ that’s the middle of the night! The auctioneer’s hammer starts falling earlier here than any other market in Japan ミ two hours before the start of auctions at the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo. And the market is already filled at that hour with people and fish, with the horse mackerel and sardines unloaded from the docks, scales glistening in the moonlight.

The workers transferring the catch from boat to box for auction create the picture of efficiency. Fish are loaded on a conveyor belt to be skillfully sorted by a battalion of middle-aged female workers indifferent to the chilly winter wind.

The fish are snuggly packed into boxes for auction. These boxes are scattered around the vast market in great mounds resembling islands for separate auctions conducted by type. There are four major types–blue fish (mackerel, sardines, horse mackerel), colored seafood (sea bream, yellowtail, squid)–further broken down into offshore and deep sea varieties–larger fish, such as tuna, and a special classification for shellfish and crabs.

As the fish are unloaded and sorted, the sequence of auctions is already underway. Here the auction for young tuna is about to begin. Long rows of fish are packed in boxes and separated by weight. This haul of fish will take a mere 10 minutes to auction off.

The auctioneer dons a white cap and climbs nimbly to the top of the boxes. Jabbing his finger in the air, he barks out the fucho, the market’s special method for expressing figures. Prices are settled in a code-like jargon rather than the conventional terms of thousands of yen per kilogram. Profit margins for buyer and seller are determined in an instant. Those caught napping can lose their shirts!

The auction is the market’s great spectacle. It takes at least three years of training with a wholesaler to become an auctioneer capable of running this show. Only after passing a test can the trainees wear the auctioneer’s white cap. The requirements for quickly determining the winning bid include visual acuity and a keen discernment. It’s a demanding profession, and most people bow out by the age of 40. Today, about 100 auctioneers employ their skills at the Nagahama market.

Brokers bid at auction on items offered by wholesale companies. The fish sold at auction in the market will be immediately sent to local wholesale shops on the premises. About half the seafood auctioned off in the market is sold to these wholesalers, with the rest being shipped to markets throughout Japan.

There are about 40 wholesale shops, each specializing in different seafood varieties. Some deal in dried fish rather than fresh fish. Starting at about 5:00 a.m., buyers begin arriving from supermarkets and fresh fish shops to purchase their day’s supply. The market closes for the day anywhere from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The energetic merchants are wide awake and driven by a full adrenaline rush at 5:00 a.m. Both the fish and the people working in the market glow with that look of Hakata health. While market auctions have remained unchanged for years, the market itself has incorporated high-tech equipment, such as a computer-controlled interior cooling system and electric shutters to prevent the fish from drying out. This shows the market spares no effort to maintain its position as Kyushu’s port of entry for seafood.

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

Something Smells Fishy Here!

From ramen to shochu and the hearty fare of its sidewalk stalls, Hakata is a gourmand’s delight, but a listing of the local menu is incomplete without fresh seafood. Fronting the Korean Strait and Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a cornucopia of fresh finfish and shellfish year round, but the flavors of such treats as mackerel, deep sea bass, and blowfish are at their most succulent in winter. Fukuoka Now presents the local piscine panorama by covering the waterfront at the Fukuoka Fish Market–the seafood clearinghouse for the city and Western Japan.

The Fukuoka area has prospered as a coastal metropolis since the 12th century, when today’s Hakata Bay was known as Sode no Minato, and before, when envoys were sent to T’ang Dynasty China more than a millenium ago. The maritime location naturally shaped local dietary habits, and Fukuoka became a major seafood consumption region. Now, in addition to the Korean Strait, the Japan Sea, and the East China Sea, fresh seafood arrives from every Kyushu seaport to be served in eateries or the table at home.
The ready availability of different shellfish led to the creation of distinctive local dishes found nowhere else in Japan–Iwashi no Chirinabe, with real sardines, and Gomasaba, made with raw mackerel sprinkled with sesame and steeped in soy sauce.
How does the seafood used for sashimi or in piping hot nabemono arrive on your table? Your intrepid reporters braved the winter cold to learn the secrets of the trade.

************************************************************

Fukuoka Now Trolls the Market

The Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market in Nagahama is a bustling hive of commotion where upwards of 8,000 people converge on a given day. This gigantic market handles more seafood than any other in Japan. It is an amazing sight, but unfortunately one not open to visits by the general public. Despite this restriction, Fukuoka Now was able to sneak in reporters to witness the hectic activities. We stayed up all night to bring you the lowdown on the market denizens, handling the fish, and the secret auctioneer’s code.

That’s right ミ the auctioning started at 3:00 a.m. That ain’t early ミ that’s the middle of the night! The auctioneer’s hammer starts falling earlier here than any other market in Japan ミ two hours before the start of auctions at the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo. And the market is already filled at that hour with people and fish, with the horse mackerel and sardines unloaded from the docks, scales glistening in the moonlight.

The workers transferring the catch from boat to box for auction create the picture of efficiency. Fish are loaded on a conveyor belt to be skillfully sorted by a battalion of middle-aged female workers indifferent to the chilly winter wind.

The fish are snuggly packed into boxes for auction. These boxes are scattered around the vast market in great mounds resembling islands for separate auctions conducted by type. There are four major types–blue fish (mackerel, sardines, horse mackerel), colored seafood (sea bream, yellowtail, squid)–further broken down into offshore and deep sea varieties–larger fish, such as tuna, and a special classification for shellfish and crabs.

As the fish are unloaded and sorted, the sequence of auctions is already underway. Here the auction for young tuna is about to begin. Long rows of fish are packed in boxes and separated by weight. This haul of fish will take a mere 10 minutes to auction off.

The auctioneer dons a white cap and climbs nimbly to the top of the boxes. Jabbing his finger in the air, he barks out the fucho, the market’s special method for expressing figures. Prices are settled in a code-like jargon rather than the conventional terms of thousands of yen per kilogram. Profit margins for buyer and seller are determined in an instant. Those caught napping can lose their shirts!

The auction is the market’s great spectacle. It takes at least three years of training with a wholesaler to become an auctioneer capable of running this show. Only after passing a test can the trainees wear the auctioneer’s white cap. The requirements for quickly determining the winning bid include visual acuity and a keen discernment. It’s a demanding profession, and most people bow out by the age of 40. Today, about 100 auctioneers employ their skills at the Nagahama market.

Brokers bid at auction on items offered by wholesale companies. The fish sold at auction in the market will be immediately sent to local wholesale shops on the premises. About half the seafood auctioned off in the market is sold to these wholesalers, with the rest being shipped to markets throughout Japan.

There are about 40 wholesale shops, each specializing in different seafood varieties. Some deal in dried fish rather than fresh fish. Starting at about 5:00 a.m., buyers begin arriving from supermarkets and fresh fish shops to purchase their day’s supply. The market closes for the day anywhere from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The energetic merchants are wide awake and driven by a full adrenaline rush at 5:00 a.m. Both the fish and the people working in the market glow with that look of Hakata health. While market auctions have remained unchanged for years, the market itself has incorporated high-tech equipment, such as a computer-controlled interior cooling system and electric shutters to prevent the fish from drying out. This shows the market spares no effort to maintain its position as Kyushu’s port of entry for seafood.

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

冬こそ魚! 旬の季節の魚市場を行く

ラーメン、焼酎、屋台など、博多の名物は数あれど、忘れちゃいけないのは「新鮮な海の幸」。玄界灘や博多湾を擁し、一年を通じて豊富な魚介類が手に入る福岡の街にあって、冬こそそのおいしさが最高潮に達するまさに「旬」。真サバやアラ、ふぐなどこの季節にこそ味わいたい逸品が目白押しだ。フクオカナウではおいしい魚を味わうための“いろは”のい、福岡の魚市場にスポットを当てて真冬のお魚事情を徹底取材!

現在の博多港一帯が「袖の湊(そでのみなと)」と呼ばれた12世紀、さらには「那の津」として栄えた遣唐使の時代から、福岡の地は海に向かって開かれた街として繁栄を続けてきた。そのような環境は当然食生活にも深く影響し、福岡の街は魚の一大消費地として発展。現在では玄界灘や日本海、東シナ海などはもちろん、九州中の港からも鮮度の良い海産物が運び込まれ、店で食卓で楽しむことが出来る。様々な種類の魚介類が入ってくることで福岡独特の食べ方も生まれ、この土地でしか味わえないおいしさも数多く存在する。例えば、真イワシを使った「イワシ のちり鍋」、生のサバに胡麻をまぶし、醤油づけにしていただく「ごまサバ」などはここ、福岡ならではの調理法である。
そんな福岡の新鮮な刺身、鍋のなかで煮込まれてるぷりぷりの魚介類、それらがどのようにして食卓にあがっているのか? 知りたい! と思ったが運のツキ。寒風吹きすさぶなか、どんなことになったかは次ページからのお楽しみ…

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早い! 大漁! 日本一! 福岡中央卸売市場(超)早朝レポート

長浜に位置し、一日に8,000人もの関係者が出入りする福岡中央卸売市場。なんと水揚げ高は産地市場のなかで日本一! という福岡が誇るべき巨大鮮魚市場なのだ。そこに行けば地元直送の新鮮な魚がさぞやたんまり集まっているだろうな~と思いきや、残念ながら一般の人は立ち入り禁止。ならばフクオカナウが潜入して活気溢れる市場の様子をレポートしようじゃないの! 5時でも6時でも早起きしてガンバリますよ! さてさて、市場にはどんな人たちが集うのか? 魚はどのようにさばかれるのか? そして謎の暗号とせり人って一体??

はーい! 集合は午前3時…早朝、っていうかこれって深夜!? 実は福岡の市場のせり開始時間は日本で一番早く、東京・築地市場よりなんと2時間も前なのだ。き、聞いてないっす~。しかしというか当然ながら、市場の中は人と魚ですでにいっぱい。岸壁では漁船からぴかぴかのアジやイワシがどど~んと水揚げ中。う、鱗がまぶしい…。

漁船から魚をおろして、せり用に箱詰めするまでの作業はとてもシステマティック。ベルトコンベアを駆使しておばちゃん部隊が手際よく魚を仕分け中。吹き付ける海風にも決して負けません。

きれいに箱詰めされてせりを待つ魚たちは、と~れとれぴっちぴち! せりは魚の種類毎に行われるため、ひろーい市場の中に島のように魚箱の山が配置されている。ちなみにその種類とは、青物(サバ・イワシ・アジ等)、色物(タイ・ハマチ・ヤリイカ等。さらに近海もの、遠洋もので分かれる)、太物(まぐろ類)、特種(貝やカニ等)の4種類に分けられる。

漁船から集荷されると同時に、別の場所では既にせりが順番にスタート。こちらではヨコワ(まぐろの子供)がスタンバイ中。等級別(重さ別)に一箱ずつ積み上げられたヨコワの長~い列。これだけの数がものの10分程でせり落とされてしまうのだ。

スピーディーなせりの秘密とは? 白い帽子をかぶり魚箱の上に器用に立ち上がっているのがせり人。勢いよく指を突きだし短くなにかを叫んでいる。実はこれ「符丁(ふちょう)」と呼ばれる市場独特の数字の読み方(下記図参照)なのだ。「何Kg何千円」という代わりに暗号のように符丁を使って値段を決めていく。売る方も買う方も一瞬の真剣勝負! ぼやぼやしてると置いていかれる。

せりは市場におけるハイライト。それを仕切るせり人になる為には卸会社に入り、最低3年の修行が必要とか。その後公的試験を経てようやくせり人のシンボル・白の帽子をかぶることが出来る。素早くせり値を決めるためには優れた動体視力と判断力が必要とされ、現役生活は40歳くらいまでという厳しい世界なのだ。現在、中央卸売市場では100人ほどのせり人が活躍中。

卸会社のせり人から品物をせり落とすのが仲卸業者。市場のあちらこちらでせられた品物は、敷地内にある仲卸店舗にすぐさま運び込まれる。現在、せり落とされた品物の約半分がこの仲卸店舗で販売され、その他は全国各地の市場に出荷されている。

仲卸店舗にもそれぞれ専門があり、全部で40店あまり。鮮魚だけでなく、乾物屋さんなんかもある。5時を過ぎたあたりから各スーパー、鮮魚店の買出人が買い付けに来はじめ、遅くとも朝の10時、早い時には8時くらいで閉店するという。

威勢のいい商売人にあてられて眠気もすっかり吹き飛び、朝の5時からアドレナリン全開。中央卸売市場には魚にも人にも博多の活きの良さがつまっている。昔ながらのせり風景などずっと変わらぬ面がある一方、衛生を保つための低温卸売場や魚の乾燥を防ぐ電動シャッターなど市場内の設備は超ハイテクに進化しつづけていたりもする。そんなところに魚天国博多の玄関口としての心意気を感じた。

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

Something Smells Fishy Here!

From ramen to shochu and the hearty fare of its sidewalk stalls, Hakata is a gourmand’s delight, but a listing of the local menu is incomplete without fresh seafood. Fronting the Korean Strait and Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a cornucopia of fresh finfish and shellfish year round, but the flavors of such treats as mackerel, deep sea bass, and blowfish are at their most succulent in winter. Fukuoka Now presents the local piscine panorama by covering the waterfront at the Fukuoka Fish Market–the seafood clearinghouse for the city and Western Japan.

The Fukuoka area has prospered as a coastal metropolis since the 12th century, when today’s Hakata Bay was known as Sode no Minato, and before, when envoys were sent to T’ang Dynasty China more than a millenium ago. The maritime location naturally shaped local dietary habits, and Fukuoka became a major seafood consumption region. Now, in addition to the Korean Strait, the Japan Sea, and the East China Sea, fresh seafood arrives from every Kyushu seaport to be served in eateries or the table at home.
The ready availability of different shellfish led to the creation of distinctive local dishes found nowhere else in Japan–Iwashi no Chirinabe, with real sardines, and Gomasaba, made with raw mackerel sprinkled with sesame and steeped in soy sauce.
How does the seafood used for sashimi or in piping hot nabemono arrive on your table? Your intrepid reporters braved the winter cold to learn the secrets of the trade.

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Fukuoka Now Trolls the Market

The Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market in Nagahama is a bustling hive of commotion where upwards of 8,000 people converge on a given day. This gigantic market handles more seafood than any other in Japan. It is an amazing sight, but unfortunately one not open to visits by the general public. Despite this restriction, Fukuoka Now was able to sneak in reporters to witness the hectic activities. We stayed up all night to bring you the lowdown on the market denizens, handling the fish, and the secret auctioneer’s code.

That’s right ミ the auctioning started at 3:00 a.m. That ain’t early ミ that’s the middle of the night! The auctioneer’s hammer starts falling earlier here than any other market in Japan ミ two hours before the start of auctions at the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo. And the market is already filled at that hour with people and fish, with the horse mackerel and sardines unloaded from the docks, scales glistening in the moonlight.

The workers transferring the catch from boat to box for auction create the picture of efficiency. Fish are loaded on a conveyor belt to be skillfully sorted by a battalion of middle-aged female workers indifferent to the chilly winter wind.

The fish are snuggly packed into boxes for auction. These boxes are scattered around the vast market in great mounds resembling islands for separate auctions conducted by type. There are four major types–blue fish (mackerel, sardines, horse mackerel), colored seafood (sea bream, yellowtail, squid)–further broken down into offshore and deep sea varieties–larger fish, such as tuna, and a special classification for shellfish and crabs.

As the fish are unloaded and sorted, the sequence of auctions is already underway. Here the auction for young tuna is about to begin. Long rows of fish are packed in boxes and separated by weight. This haul of fish will take a mere 10 minutes to auction off.

The auctioneer dons a white cap and climbs nimbly to the top of the boxes. Jabbing his finger in the air, he barks out the fucho, the market’s special method for expressing figures. Prices are settled in a code-like jargon rather than the conventional terms of thousands of yen per kilogram. Profit margins for buyer and seller are determined in an instant. Those caught napping can lose their shirts!

The auction is the market’s great spectacle. It takes at least three years of training with a wholesaler to become an auctioneer capable of running this show. Only after passing a test can the trainees wear the auctioneer’s white cap. The requirements for quickly determining the winning bid include visual acuity and a keen discernment. It’s a demanding profession, and most people bow out by the age of 40. Today, about 100 auctioneers employ their skills at the Nagahama market.

Brokers bid at auction on items offered by wholesale companies. The fish sold at auction in the market will be immediately sent to local wholesale shops on the premises. About half the seafood auctioned off in the market is sold to these wholesalers, with the rest being shipped to markets throughout Japan.

There are about 40 wholesale shops, each specializing in different seafood varieties. Some deal in dried fish rather than fresh fish. Starting at about 5:00 a.m., buyers begin arriving from supermarkets and fresh fish shops to purchase their day’s supply. The market closes for the day anywhere from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The energetic merchants are wide awake and driven by a full adrenaline rush at 5:00 a.m. Both the fish and the people working in the market glow with that look of Hakata health. While market auctions have remained unchanged for years, the market itself has incorporated high-tech equipment, such as a computer-controlled interior cooling system and electric shutters to prevent the fish from drying out. This shows the market spares no effort to maintain its position as Kyushu’s port of entry for seafood.

 

 

 

 

6723
6724

Something Smells Fishy Here!

From ramen to shochu and the hearty fare of its sidewalk stalls, Hakata is a gourmand’s delight, but a listing of the local menu is incomplete without fresh seafood. Fronting the Korean Strait and Hakata Bay, Fukuoka is a cornucopia of fresh finfish and shellfish year round, but the flavors of such treats as mackerel, deep sea bass, and blowfish are at their most succulent in winter. Fukuoka Now presents the local piscine panorama by covering the waterfront at the Fukuoka Fish Market–the seafood clearinghouse for the city and Western Japan.

The Fukuoka area has prospered as a coastal metropolis since the 12th century, when today’s Hakata Bay was known as Sode no Minato, and before, when envoys were sent to T’ang Dynasty China more than a millenium ago. The maritime location naturally shaped local dietary habits, and Fukuoka became a major seafood consumption region. Now, in addition to the Korean Strait, the Japan Sea, and the East China Sea, fresh seafood arrives from every Kyushu seaport to be served in eateries or the table at home.
The ready availability of different shellfish led to the creation of distinctive local dishes found nowhere else in Japan–Iwashi no Chirinabe, with real sardines, and Gomasaba, made with raw mackerel sprinkled with sesame and steeped in soy sauce.
How does the seafood used for sashimi or in piping hot nabemono arrive on your table? Your intrepid reporters braved the winter cold to learn the secrets of the trade.

************************************************************

Fukuoka Now Trolls the Market

The Fukuoka Central Wholesale Market in Nagahama is a bustling hive of commotion where upwards of 8,000 people converge on a given day. This gigantic market handles more seafood than any other in Japan. It is an amazing sight, but unfortunately one not open to visits by the general public. Despite this restriction, Fukuoka Now was able to sneak in reporters to witness the hectic activities. We stayed up all night to bring you the lowdown on the market denizens, handling the fish, and the secret auctioneer’s code.

That’s right ミ the auctioning started at 3:00 a.m. That ain’t early ミ that’s the middle of the night! The auctioneer’s hammer starts falling earlier here than any other market in Japan ミ two hours before the start of auctions at the famous Tsukiji market in Tokyo. And the market is already filled at that hour with people and fish, with the horse mackerel and sardines unloaded from the docks, scales glistening in the moonlight.

The workers transferring the catch from boat to box for auction create the picture of efficiency. Fish are loaded on a conveyor belt to be skillfully sorted by a battalion of middle-aged female workers indifferent to the chilly winter wind.

The fish are snuggly packed into boxes for auction. These boxes are scattered around the vast market in great mounds resembling islands for separate auctions conducted by type. There are four major types–blue fish (mackerel, sardines, horse mackerel), colored seafood (sea bream, yellowtail, squid)–further broken down into offshore and deep sea varieties–larger fish, such as tuna, and a special classification for shellfish and crabs.

As the fish are unloaded and sorted, the sequence of auctions is already underway. Here the auction for young tuna is about to begin. Long rows of fish are packed in boxes and separated by weight. This haul of fish will take a mere 10 minutes to auction off.

The auctioneer dons a white cap and climbs nimbly to the top of the boxes. Jabbing his finger in the air, he barks out the fucho, the market’s special method for expressing figures. Prices are settled in a code-like jargon rather than the conventional terms of thousands of yen per kilogram. Profit margins for buyer and seller are determined in an instant. Those caught napping can lose their shirts!

The auction is the market’s great spectacle. It takes at least three years of training with a wholesaler to become an auctioneer capable of running this show. Only after passing a test can the trainees wear the auctioneer’s white cap. The requirements for quickly determining the winning bid include visual acuity and a keen discernment. It’s a demanding profession, and most people bow out by the age of 40. Today, about 100 auctioneers employ their skills at the Nagahama market.

Brokers bid at auction on items offered by wholesale companies. The fish sold at auction in the market will be immediately sent to local wholesale shops on the premises. About half the seafood auctioned off in the market is sold to these wholesalers, with the rest being shipped to markets throughout Japan.

There are about 40 wholesale shops, each specializing in different seafood varieties. Some deal in dried fish rather than fresh fish. Starting at about 5:00 a.m., buyers begin arriving from supermarkets and fresh fish shops to purchase their day’s supply. The market closes for the day anywhere from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The energetic merchants are wide awake and driven by a full adrenaline rush at 5:00 a.m. Both the fish and the people working in the market glow with that look of Hakata health. While market auctions have remained unchanged for years, the market itself has incorporated high-tech equipment, such as a computer-controlled interior cooling system and electric shutters to prevent the fish from drying out. This shows the market spares no effort to maintain its position as Kyushu’s port of entry for seafood.

 

 

 

 

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