Special eye for quality at Toyosu Fish Market

The Manila Times

Special eye for quality at Toyosu Fish Market  Toyosu Market is the world’s largest wholesale fish market. It sells as many as 500 species from all over the globe, handled by specialist brokers called nakagainin. These nakagainin must have the ability to pick out exactly which fish will best suit each customer’s unique needs, such as sushi chefs who demand the highest freshness, taste and quality. The ability to judge quality instantly by eye is traditionally known in Japanese as mekiki, and we’ll see it in action on the floor of Toyosu Market.  VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe    Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #Japan #fishmarket #wholesale #sushi

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:10 [Music]

00:12 Overlooking Tokyo Bay, Toyosu Market is the world's largest wholesale market.

00:17 It's most famous, of course, for its fish,

00:21 handling as many as 500 species from all over the globe.

00:26 Tokyo's reputation for sushi and sashimi of unmatched quality

00:30 relies on the fresh fish supplied daily through Toyosu.

00:34 At 5am, before the sun has even risen, the market is already packed with buyers.

00:41 Because fish sales are a major function of all Japanese markets,

00:47 they're handled by specialist brokers called "nakagai-ni".

00:53 Toyosu sells a huge variety of fish and seafood,

00:56 and it is the nakagai-ni who ensure freshness, taste and quality.

01:00 These brokers know exactly which fish will precisely meet a customer's unique needs.

01:07 Sushi restaurants especially depend on their skills.

01:10 Each kind of fish has its own dedicated nakagai-ni.

01:15 This broker, for example, deals only in whitefish.

01:22 The fish in these trays are exactly the same species

01:24 and look identical to the untrained eye.

01:27 It's easy for me to tell these ones have already become a little soft.

01:33 I'll pick them for buyers who want fish for grilling or broiling,

01:37 since they're more suitable for that.

01:39 Just a quick look and he knows that the fish on the left will be best served as sashimi,

01:44 while those on the right will be good for grilling.

01:47 The fish on the left are line caught.

01:51 The only damage is from hooks to their mouths.

01:53 The ones on the right were netted.

01:57 Nets abrade a fish's whole body, so it loses freshness faster.

02:01 The special ability to judge quality quickly by eye is known in Japanese as "mekiki".

02:09 Tokyo has had wholesale food markets since the 17th century.

02:14 As the city and its markets grew,

02:19 nakagai-nin took on an ever more important role,

02:22 recognised for their "mekiki" ability.

02:24 Fumie Takeuchi is the owner and head chef of a high-end Tokyo sushi restaurant.

02:32 One thing her customers always request is "maguro", Pacific bluefin tuna,

02:39 and she relies on Toyosu Market for the highest quality.

02:42 I come here every day in order to get the very best maguro.

02:49 Good morning!

02:50 A lot came in today. Big ones are about 250 kilos.

02:55 Takeuchi always buys from the same nakagai-nin, Hiroki Fujita.

03:01 It's not easy judging quality on the spot, with the fish all heaped up on the floor.

03:09 Fujita is the ultimate maguro specialist.

03:13 He goes out on the floor in search of the exact quality of fish Takeuchi has asked for today.

03:18 Hmm, maybe not.

03:24 Takeuchi wants maguro that's fresh, soft and fatty.

03:29 Fujita checks out fish after fish, searching for the absolute best.

03:33 I know it'll be fatty from the white colour near its belly.

03:37 A single glance at this fish's subtly different skin colour and texture

03:41 tells Fujita it will have exactly the taste that Takeuchi needs.

03:44 Once again, Takeuchi's customers will enjoy sushi of unmatchable quality.

03:51 Even sushi chefs can't do what Fujita does.

03:56 If he says it's good, it will be. His eye is the best. There's no one like him.

04:01 Tokyo chefs have made this city a gourmet paradise,

04:06 but they couldn't do it without the Toyosu Market nakagai-nin,

04:10 and their incredible eye for quality.

04:13 (music ends)

04:15 (mouse clicks)

04:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended