 |
 |
|
| This riverside fish market dates back to the 16th century. |
|
|
| When buying tuna, look for flesh that is frim, moist and has a pleasant fresh smell. Ideally, white lines of fat permeating the meat should be seen. This "marbling" of fat is a sign of quality sashimi. The colour is a good indication of freshnes |
|
|
 | Seafood |
|
| Jet Fresh |
|
|
|
| Sashimi direct from the world's biggest and best seafood market – you'll only find it at city'super! |
|
|
|
As the only supermarket in Hong Kong that sells fish from Tokyo's famed Tsukiji fish market, city'super is proud of the freshness and quality of the seafood that is flown in daily direct from Japan. “The sashimi from Tsukiji is unsurpassed in terms of freshness and selection”, says Ricky Lo, city'super fish buyer. “You can find the best variety of seasonal fish at Tsukiji and we have it shipped direct to Hong Kong within 24 hours.”
A hot spot on the itinerary of any intrepid tourist to Japan, Tokyo's Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market is an experience not to be missed. It is one of three major wholesale food markets in Tokyo and the world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market. Everyday Tsukiji handles more than 2000 tons of 400 different types of seafood, from tiny sardines to giant tuna, from seaweed to caviar.
The day at Tsukiji begins early at 3 am when the fresh seafood products that have come to Japan by ship, boat and plane from all over the world arrive at the market. The auction houses (known in Japan as oroshi gyousha) look over and estimate the value of the fish and prepare them for the auctions. The licensed buyers are then permitted to inspect the fish and consider which they want to bid for and at what price. These buyers include wholesalers who operate stalls within the market and others who are agents for restaurants, food processing companies and large retailers such as city'super.
The auction begins when the auctioneer calls out a lot number and price, he is answered by many buyers gesticulating wildly to place their bid – this is called “teyari” in Japanese. Once the best price has been reached, that lot is considered sold and the auctioneer moves quickly on to the next lot.
By 7am the auctions are over and the purchased fish is loaded onto trucks to be shipped to the next destination – city'super in Hong Kong! Once city'super's partner is Japan has purchased the sashimi, it is packed in ice – jelly ice for the chilled fish and dry ice for the frozen fish - and transported immediately to the airport from where it is flown directly to Hong Kong. When the freight of fresh seafood arrives in Hong Kong, the city'super distribution team is on hand to collect it and deliver it to the stores. At every stage of the transportation, special care is taken to ensure that the fish is kept at a consistently low temperature and that the quality and freshness of the seafood is maintained throughout.
Currently city'super stocks more than 10 types of sashimi sourced from Tsukiji, including Maguro and Toro (tuna) and seasonal fish such as Hamachi and Aji (Horse mackerel). |
|
|
| Maguro |
|
| Maguro is raw tuna, which has a soft meaty texture and a clean taste. |
|
|
| Toro |
|
| Toro is cut from the belly of the blue fin tuna. In Japan, tuna are graded according to fat content – the fattest part of the fish being the most prized. Toro is the most sought-after, with flesh that is pink and somewhat opaque. Toro can be identified as Chutoro (moderately fat) or Otoro (the highest fat content tuna which is light pink, tender and melts in your mouth). |
|
|
| Hamachi |
|
| Hamachi (young Yellowtail). This is a Japanese variety of amberjack, a migratory fish similar to tuna. It has light golden flesh and sometimes displays a dark streak along the edge of a fillet. Hamachi can be rich as Toro, smooth and buttery with a deeply smoky taste. |
|
|
| Hirame |
|
| Hirame (Halibut) A flat fish that has a pale translucent flesh with a delicate flavour. Cut into paper thin slices as sashimi it is called hirame usu zukuri. |
|
|
| Tai |
|
| Tai (snapper) Sweet, lean fish with broad flaked pink and white flesh. |
|
|
| Abalone |
|
| Abalone This is a sea snail that is prized for its mother-of-pearl inner shell and the subtle, unique flavour of its edible “foot”. The meat is about an inch thick and the size of a hand. Colour ranges from pale peach to grey or even blue. |
|
|
| Saba |
|
| Saba (Mackerel) Although paler than tuna, saba is a more strongly flavoured fish with dark and light flesh and an oily texture. |
|
|
| Aji |
|
| Aji (Horse Mackerel) Smooth on the palate with tender and delicious flesh. |
|
|
| Hotate |
|
| Hotate The king of scallops! These are sweet and spongy, wrinkle-free and odourless. |
|
|
