Have you ever heard of the term "tamarei"(玉冷/たまれい)? Tamarei is a term often used in the seafood industry to refer to scallops that are carefully removed from their shells one by one and then flash frozen for consumption raw. One of their features is that they can be cooked immediately as they do not require any pre-processing, making them delicious whether eaten raw or cooked. Due to their convenience, they are very popular both in Japan and overseas.

 

Generally, the scallops season occurs twice a year, from May to August and from December to March. Frozen scallop meat manufacturing is from late spring put raw material all together, selection and start to manufacturing, normal year はSince March and September, new items have been released, catching condition of the water has been reduced. The reason for the lack of manpower has been due to the lack of new products in recent years. The above-mentioned products are needed domestically and abroad, and the products are manufactured after being manufactured. In August 2023, the Chinese government announced the release of ALPS treated water, Japan's import of aquatic products has stopped, for a period of time, and fishery stakeholders have complained about the situation. Although the current domestic and foreign products are in shortage.

 

Frozen scallops comes in a variety of sizes

 

 

Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture are known as the two major scallop producing areas in Japan, and each has different characteristics, with both natural scallops and aquaculture being thriving.

 

Sarufutsu mura(猿払村) and Betsukai cho(別海町) Town, facing the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in Hokkaido, are a major fishing area for natural scallops, where the strong tidal currents and the large amount of plankton that arrives with the drift ice in the Northern Sea of ​​Okhotsk create an ideal environment for scallop growth. Because they grow in places with low water temperatures, they have a muscular, athletic body shape, and are characterized by their large, thick, and chewy texture.

 

Funka Bay is a bay located in the southern part of Hokkaido, where a method called " hanging-type aquaculture " (suikashikiyoshoku) is particularly widely used, in which young scallops are attached to ropes that are hung down in the sea. This method produces evenly grown, high-quality scallops.

 

Aomori Prefecture is a scallop production area on par with Hokkaido, and the hanging-type aquaculture method is the mainstream for scallop farming. The water temperature and ocean currents of Mutsu Bay are suitable for the growth of scallops, and they are known for their particularly sweet taste. Farmed scallops grow in a relatively warm environment, so they have a thick, moist texture and a rich, sweet taste.

 

When you eat scallops, please pay attention to their characteristics. You might be able to guess where they came from!

 

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