Production volume is top class in Japan. Unraveling Numazu's traditional industry, ``Numazu string''.
Japan's tallest mountain, Mt. Fuji, and Japan's deepest bay, Suruga Bay. Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture is located in a location surrounded by both. It is in a location with excellent access from both the Tomei and Shin-Tomei Expressways, National Routes 1 and 246, and both Tokyo and Nagoya. Many tourists visit various spots in Numazu City, which is also known as the gateway to Izu, Mishima, and Hakone from the expressway, and is also known as a sacred place for anime.
Numazu Port in particular is popular as a dining destination as there are many restaurants that serve fresh seafood. There are also many dried fish shops in and around Numazu Port. Numazu is also known as one of the nation's leading producers of dried fish.
History of “Numazu Himono”. “Dried fish” and “opened fish” are completely different products.
In addition to being rich in spring water from Mt. Fuji, including the Kakita River, Numazu City is also home to Numazu Port, where fish caught in Suruga Bay are landed, and is located almost in the center of Japan, with an endless transportation network. Since then, "Numazu Himono" has developed as the perfect place for distribution and sales channels. In particular, it is a major producer of dried horse mackerel.
The culture of dried fish is not unique to Japan, but is a processing method that exists in many countries around the world, but it has a long history in Japan, and is said to have been found in shell middens from the Jomon period. The Numazu post in Hiroshige Utagawa's ``The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido'' also depicts dried fish being dried, which suggests that dried fish culture had already taken root in Numazu during the Edo period. From the end of the Meiji period to the Taisho period, dried fish processing wholesalers opened up around the mouth of the Kano River, and Numazu's dried fish industry developed. From the Taisho era to the Showa era, the manufacturing method for today's Numazu Himono was established, in which the fish was opened up, its internal organs removed, soaked in salt water, and dried in the sun.
It has a warm climate and beach breezes, a place where fresh fish is easily available from all over the country, and because it uses a lot of water, there are abundant water sources. Numazu meets these conditions and is said to be the perfect land for growing dried fish. With advances in transportation such as the Tokaido Line, the area developed into one of Japan's leading producers of dried fish.
Actually, "dried fish" and "opened" are different.
As the name suggests, ``dried fish'' is dried in the sun (or by machine), and ``drying'' increases the amino acids and inosinic acid content, which improves the flavor. Craftsmen carefully cleanse the fish, remove the internal organs, and adjust the drying method and direction depending on the weather, wind, and sunlight that day to create delicious dried fish.
In the case of "open", the process has been simplified for mass production. Rather than "hanging it", it is quickly finished by drying it with a machine, etc., and it is distributed at an affordable price.
The moisture content of dried fish is about 50%, and the moisture content of open fish is about 80%. This difference in moisture content also makes a difference in how you thaw and bake dried fish or dried fish when you freeze them and eat them.
Nowadays, it seems that more and more people, not only general consumers but even producers, do not know the difference between dried and dried fish. By the way, ``Numazu Himono'' is made by opening the fish, soaking it in salt water called shoshiru, and then drying it.
At Numazu Funato, the craftsmen adjust the cooking method to suit the individual differences in the fish, as well as the climate, wind, and humidity of the day.
In recent years, there has been an increase in mass-produced dried fish using machines, etc., but there are still places that still use traditional methods to make dried fish without using additives. there is. ``I want to pass on the Japanese-ness that is disappearing to future generations through just small meals.'' We spoke to Kazuhiro Watanabe, the representative director of ``Funato Ltd.,'' which operates the dried fish store ``Numazu Funato,'' which is run with this idea in mind, about the dried fish production process.
By using machines and additives, making dried fish has become much less labor-intensive than in the past. However, at Numazu Funato, they rely on the skills of their craftsmen without using machines to make dried fish, using only fish and salt without additives, and it is so highly rated that it is said that the concept of dried fish will change when you eat it. It is characterized by
The craftsman inserts a knife into each fish, carefully cutting them and shaping them according to the individual differences. When you watch the manufacturing process, you can see that the craftsmen handle the fish with great care. ``It's because it's a carefully selected, high-quality fish. It's natural to treat it with care,'' he says.
After you finish cleaning the fish, prepare the salt soup. Some dried fish stores reuse this salt soup. By doing this, we create a unique flavor, but because we make it without additives, we make the salted soup anew each time. The salt is slightly yellowish seawater sun-salted salt. It is characterized by a mellow taste and no sharp salty taste. It is rich in minerals, brings out the flavor of fish, and gives dried fish a mellow finish.
The distribution of salt and pickling time vary depending on the dried fish, so it can be said that it is unique in that it is measured instead of relying on eye measurements. And use plenty of water. The water in Numazu uses spring water from Mt. Fuji, so the water itself is delicious. By using this water in combination with seawater and sun-salted salt, delicious dried fish can be made.
Next, we use the power of natural wind to dry them. Since fish are made without additives, exposing them to direct sunlight can cause discoloration of the fish, so the factory has well-ventilated windows and entrances, and uses the power of natural wind to dry the fish. Masu. Adjust the drying location depending on the humidity, temperature, wind strength, etc. of the day. To compensate for the power of the wind, we use a fan to adjust the air volume. This process is also an important part of making dried fish, as it condenses and matures the natural flavor of the fish, and the film that forms on the surface locks in the deliciousness.
Another feature of Numazu Funato is that the same craftsman is in charge of everything from cleaning the fish to drying it. There are many dried fish stores where the work is divided among the people who handle the fish, pickle it in salt soup, and dry it, but a craftsman who has a solid grasp of the condition of the fish is responsible for handling the fish from start to finish. Since I'm in charge of it, I can complete it in better condition.
We sell a variety of dried fish such as fatty mackerel, horse mackerel, saury, and ayu.
There are also soy sauce-dried fish with special flavors, but this one is also characterized by the use of soy sauce and mirin produced in Shizuoka Prefecture. Because we do not use starch syrup, coloring agents, antioxidants or other preservatives, and only use carefully selected high-quality raw materials, we are able to produce dried fish that is second to none.
"Fish fat easily deteriorates, oxidizes, and becomes damaged. Making it the way we do takes time, money, and is difficult. However, we dare to do what others don't. We use our unique manufacturing method, packaging technology, and... There is a sales style,'' says Watanabe.
The recommended dried fish is fatty mackerel. We carefully select only fatty natural mackerel and finish it with a light salt. By drying it, the flavor is concentrated. This is the product with the most repeat customers. In addition, dried sweetfish is also available in rare places. Many people say that they don't like the unique aroma of river fish, but drying it alleviates that flavor, giving it a mellow flavor, and if it's browned, you can even eat the head and bones. Of course, horse mackerel, a staple of Numazu Himono, is also popular.
Nowadays, dried fish is decreasing from the Japanese diet, so we are putting effort into providing it in a form that is easy to prepare, so that people can eat even a little bit of dried fish.
It is best to eat them as soon as possible after purchase, but if you want to freeze them and store them, we recommend vacuum-packed ones. It is an excellent product that can be stored for a long time and can be started baking in a short time if thawed under running water. In fact, the trick to baking deliciously is to start baking after completely defrosting. Also, since grilling fish requires a lot of effort to clean up, the company seems to be trying to provide fish in easy-to-handle formats, such as selling fish in sizes that can be easily grilled in a frying pan.
Internet sales started in 1997, but the store owner also values face-to-face sales. At our stores, we don't just sell to customers, we always value dialogue. It is said that he teaches about the appeal of dried fish, how to preserve it, and how to eat it deliciously. Even if they look like the same dried fish at first glance, each dried fish is different, so you can choose one according to your preference, such as one with more fat or one with less fat.
If you want to eat high-quality dried fish or want to learn about the new appeal of dried fish, why not stop by?
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Numazu Funato
Location: 332-3 Okaichiki, Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, along Numazu Gurume Kaido Road
TEL:055-922-2123
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