Shimonoseki Fuku is a fresh tiger puffer fish, either caught in Japan or raised in farms across the country. It is also a registered geographical indication (GI) product in Japan.
Historical Development and Geographical Location
Shimonoseki has been the center where the culture of pufferfish has flourished since ancient times. The region, thanks to its spawning grounds in nearby waters and the Shimonoseki Strait, which is on the migration route connecting the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan, has become a center for the production of the wild tiger pufferfish. Later, with the introduction of farm-raised tiger pufferfish in the 1970s, Haedomari Market was equipped with numerous live fish tanks, and a fish processing complex was established in the surrounding area. This infrastructure laid the foundation for Shimonoseki's status as a collection point and transformed the region into a distribution hub for buying and selling nationwide.
The production area of Shimonoseki Fuku covers Yamaguchi Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture, specifically the areas of Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Moji-Ku of Kita Kyusyu City in Fukuoka Prefecture.
About Shimonoseki Fuku (地理的表示産品情報発信サイト)
Handling Process
Only tiger pufferfish in good condition are selected from the fish kept in the tanks and transported alive to the processing facility of the Shimonoseki Fuku producers' local processing facility. There, a licensed puffer fish processor performs the detoxification process. During the process, the poisonous parts of the puffer fish, including the ovaries, liver, kidneys, heart, gallbladder, stomach, intestines, spleen, and gills, are removed with a kitchen knife and rinsed visually. Temperature control is crucial to maintain freshness during the filleting process. The processing room temperature is generally maintained at 20 degrees Celsius or below; other methods, such as rinsing the fish with ice-cold water immediately after cleaning, are also used. A license is also required to ensure the processor possesses the necessary skill level.
Trading Processes
Puffer fish arriving at the Haedomari market from across the country are sorted into smaller sizes by fishermen (fishing boats) and fish farmers. This specialized trading method, which visually assesses puffer fish quality, was developed by Shimonoseki Fuku farmers over a long period of time. Puffer fish that are the right size and appeal to customers are evaluated through experience, and the products brought by the fishermen/fish farmers are bought and sold at high prices. This bidding style has continued to this day.
