Hachinohe City is located at the east coast of Aomori Prefecture, and it’s famous for fishery such as squids and mackerel. Especially mackerel is getting more popular than ever.
Secrets of Off Hachinohe Mackerel
1. The northernmost fishing point for mackerel
Latitude of the fishing point off Hachinohe is 40° 30’, and it’s the northernmost point in Japan. Mackerel caught only in this area is treated as “Off Hachinohe Mackerel”.
2. Low seawater temperature
Mackerel is said that its crude fat increases when seawater temperature goes below 18℃. The water of the fishing point off Hachinohe drastically becomes cool around September every year.
3. Rich in crude fat
A mackerel caught off Hachinohe and of more than 600g often includes 30% of crude fat, and even smaller one with weight of 400g has more than 15% fat. According to Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, the average amount of the crude fat of a mackerel is 12.1%, and it shows how rich fat Hachinohe mackerel has.
Because of the crude fat, Hachinohe mackerel leaves better aftertaste than the one from Northern Europe.
4. Rich in unsaturated fatty acid
Crude fat contains rich unsaturated fatty acid called EPA and DHA which are essential fatty acid for human body, and our body cannot make them itself. Hachinohe Mackerel helps you take these acids.
5. Neighboring fishing point offers you fresh mackerel
Mackerel is very perishable, but the fishing point of Hachinohe Mackerel is only several kilometers away from Hachinohe Port that mackerel is landed freshly keeping good taste.
The followings are what I had at "Saba-no Eki" (Mackerel Station) where you can eat your fill of premium mackerel.
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| Skewered mackerel and mackerel ball on the left, and sashimi on the right. |
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| Mackerel slice simmered in miso (with cheese as a secret ingredients) |
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| (Left) soy sauce marinated (Right) preserved in miso |
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| With chopped green onion, sprinkled sesame seeds and red pepper on top. |
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| Slightly roasted. |
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| Rod-shaped mackerel sushi and senbei-jiru. |
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| Using salted and vinegared mackerel. |
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| Senbei-jiru is salt broth with vegetables, fish (mackerel in this dish) and cracked senbei (flour cracker). |
Saba-no Eki: 1st floor, Daimatsu Building
12 Muikamachi, Hachinohe City
031-0033 Aomori Prefecture
TEL 0178-24-3839
Aomori Sightseeing Guide "aptinet" http://en.aptinet.jp/
View Saba-no Eki in a larger map
