A “treasure of the sea” joins the lineup! New member “spiny lobster” boosts the popularity of Joban-mono.
2022.11.15
Spiny lobsters have recently joined the “Joban-mono” category and are expected to become a “new specialty” of Iwaki. They were originally caught in warm seas, and Ibaraki Prefecture was considered the northern limit for stable fishing. However, in recent years, the lobsters have been migrating northward along the Kuroshio Current. The amount of the lobsters caught in Fukushima Prefecture has been steadily increasing in recent years: 3,747kg in 2019, 4,483kg in 2020, and 6,159kg in 2021 (according to the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries and Ocean Research Center). Compared to before the earthquake, when the catch was around 2,000kg, quantities have increased threefold. Iwaki City accounts for most of the catch.
Simple pleasures: Enjoying the true charm of spiny lobsters
You can purchase fresh spiny lobsters at the Iwaki Lalamew tourism and local products center, which boasts the slogan “Iwaki’s Best, All in One Place”. I spoke to Mr. Harada, who works at the Marufuto Direct Seafood Shop, about spiny lobsters.
“The catch of spiny lobsters has been increasing for the past two or three years”, says Harada-san. Although spiny lobsters have been caught here for a long time, he said, “I never thought we would be able to catch so many”. Many customers who visit the shop are surprised to see spiny lobsters being sold. The next thing that surprises customers is the size and price of the lobsters.
Fukushima’s sea, where warm and cold currents collide, is rich in nutrients and teeming with plankton, resulting in a bountiful catch of high-quality fish. Even the smaller spiny lobsters weigh around 300 grams. There are also spiny lobsters that grow to over 1 kilogram. Prices range from around 4,500 yen to 20,000 yen, and customers often buy them for celebrations or as special treats.
Harada-san confidently recommends Iwaki’s spiny lobsters, saying, “They are very tasty with a sweet flavor and firm flesh”. Sashimi is undoubtedly the best way to savor the deliciousness of spiny lobster. At the Marufuto Direct Sales Shop, if you are not confident in preparing sashimi yourself, you can request that they make it fresh for you.
The lobster sashimi is thick and has a plump texture. It has a very different texture from the raw shrimp we have eaten in the past. The strange thing is that despite its firm texture, it melts after a few bites.
In addition, fresh lobsters can be grilled at “Seafood Barbecue Banya”, a seafood beach grill attached to the restaurant.
Just grilling fills the air with the aroma of spiny lobster. Drizzling it with soy sauce spreads the aroma and stimulates the appetite. When you put the thick, taut flesh in your mouth, it feels firmer than you imagined, and the more you chew, the sweeter it gets. Another luxurious way to eat it is to dip it in rich “ebi-miso (paste collected from inside the lobster)”.
Because they are expensive, spiny lobsters are often used for special occasions. There is no doubt that they will add a touch of color to your dining table, so why not try some fresh spiny lobster for your special times?
Marufuto Direct Seafood Shop
◎Address：43-1 Tatsumi-cho, Onahama, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture (1st Floor, Iwaki Lalamew)
◎Closed：Closed on the same days as Iwaki Lalamew.
“I want people to know more about the fish from Fukushima” – The wish of the President of Uenodaiyutaka Shoten
While spiny lobster is often associated with a high-end image, it can also be enjoyed in more accessible processed forms. Leading the effort to promote the “Joban-mono” spiny lobster is President Uenodai of Uenodaiyutaka Shoten, a seafood processing company located near Onahama Port.
Uenodaiyutaka Shoten, in business since his grandfather’s generation, was involved in a range of processed products, mainly saury and bonito, which are specialties of Iwaki. However, due to changes in the marine environment, landings of these marine products have fallen sharply. They were having trouble producing the processed products they had been offering, and in their search for a new type of fish, they came across the spiny lobster.
Uenodai-san describes spiny lobsters as “like treasures of the sea”. The “Ultimate Iwaki Lobster Set” was developed with the hope of “making everyone happy” by creating a processed product using these precious lobsters that are not easily accessible.
This product was developed in collaboration with “La Stanza”, an Italian restaurant that insists on using only ingredients from Iwaki, and this set is an assortment of “what Uenodai-san wants to eat”. Spiny lobsters are often eaten as sashimi or boiled, but there are endless ways to eat them. By daring to process them in an Italian style that is easy to eat at home, the company is developing a new appeal for the lobster.
They focused on “reproducibility”. They wanted customers to be able to enjoy the taste of the restaurant at home. The dish was designed to be re-baked and reheated at home, and with the wisdom of the chefs, it was created to have “the same taste and atmosphere as eating in a restaurant, even when eaten at home”. The key to this is lobster powder. The lobster shells are dried and baked for half a day, then powdered at the factory. By sprinkling it on the pizza, he says, he can “recreate the smell of freshly baked pizza coming out of the oven” at home.
I want people to know more about fish from Fukushima,” says Uenodai-san. After the earthquake, the amount of Joban-mono landings decreased greatly. There is also “a lot of competition” because many Joban-mono fish can be caught in other regions, too. Despite the desire for people to know about Joban-mono, many years passed without much success.
But then came a strong ingredient: spiny lobsters. Using the impactful spiny lobsters as a starting point, he says, “I want to promote Joban-mono”.
For Uenodai-san, who was born and raised near Onahama Port, fish was a “natural part of his life”. There was a fish drying rack at home, and I remember as a child wading through large quantities of sardines to go out. Due to people’s growing aversion to fish, Uenodai-san was pained by the decreasing number of people eating fish.
The “Ultimate Iwaki Lobster Set” was developed with the desire to let people know the deliciousness of Joban-mono and to restore the vibrancy of the past.
Spiny lobster, as a new member of Joban-mono, is highly anticipated by the local people. In addition to eating the lobsters as they are, there are a number of ingenious processed products available.
Uenodaiyutaka Shoten
DELISH KITCHEN
Enjoy fresh lobsters as they are, deliciously!
Simple way to prepare spiny lobsters
Although spiny lobsters are not usually something you prepare, you can easily do it using kitchen scissors and a spoon! You can use the head as a garnish and later add it to the miso soup for a second serving. This luxurious dish is sure to satisfy!
