You Eat That?! - Cool Seafood

Tokyo: this world-class metropolis is a veritable gourmet wonderland.

Discover the stories behind the ingredients that make this city so delicious - so "oishii."

Japan's wealth of seafood paved the way to a unique food culture - that's the beauty of being an island nation.

Now, you may hesitate to try some dishes when first laying eyes on them, but take a bite.

You may be pleasantly surprised.

What an ugly fish!

They won't be this way for long.

So clear!

We caught some!

Scary!

Seafood is a key part of the Japanese diet.

Preparation methods have been refined over centuries to bring out the best flavors.

Enjoy a true taste of Japan!

This is amazing.

It looks like a star-filled night sky.

It's absolutely beautiful.

Did you see that? That was amazing.

That's so beautiful.

In this cool recap, rediscover some of the weirdest and tastiest seafood in Japan.

"Oishii!"

Trails to Oishii Tokyo.

The octopus: it's the one with eight tentacles and lots of suckers.

Some may not be too fond of the alien-like creature, but the cephalopod is well-loved in Japan.

It's said about 1/5 of the octopus caught worldwide is consumed in Japan.

There are so many fishes here!

Our Swedish reporter Janni is at a wholesale market in Tokyo hoping to find some octopus.

Good morning.

- Any octopus here?
- The ones in front are all octopuses.

- Really? All of these?
- Yes!

There's one in this net.

It's still alive?

- Yes. All are delivered alive.
- I see.

Why is it in a net?

It needs to be in a net like this
so it doesn't get away.

But if it gets one tentacle through a hole,
it can eventually make its way out.

- Even a hole that small?
- Yes, it could escape.

They took the octopus out of the net just for us.

Wow!

It's running away!

An octopus is a mollusk, or an animal without bones.

Its ancestors are the same as shellfish.

It lost its shell during the course of evolution.

- Can I hold it?
- Sure.

Oh my God!

It's so slimy.

It's like really slimy but really soft.

And it runs away at once, oh my god!

I think you can see the eyes here.

Oh, it let me go.

This yellow part is the eye.

The top part above the eyes looks like the head, but it's actually the body filled with organs.

The octopus is not only a popular food, but has also had an influence on Japanese culture.

In Japan, you often see octopuses designed as "kawaii" or cute characters.

For a long time, the octopus has been considered quite a charming creature.

The octopus inspired designs for many kinds of "Netsuke," a traditional Japanese accessory that's worn on kimono belts.

There is also a pattern that uses tentacles as a motif, known as "Tako karakusa," meaning "octopus arabesque."

It's considered a lucky pattern and is quite familiar in Japan.

Next, Janni heads to an "izakaya," a Japanese-style bar and restaurant, that's known for tasty octopus dishes.

- Hello.
- Welcome.

I'm here for octopus.

We have nice ones today.

First, the octopus needs to be carefully prepared.

After all the intestines are taken out, it's covered with salt and kneaded well, as if doing laundry by hand.

The salt soaks up a slimy film that has a strong fishy odor.

Getting rid of that will make it tastier.

After rubbing for ten minutes, wash all the salt off.

Not slimy at all.

It's completely different.

Walk in the shower and you do like this. That's the feeling.

Let's start with "sashimi."

He makes it using octopus that just arrived from the market.

The skin and suckers are removed, leaving pieces of creamy-white tentacles.

- So delicious.
- Thank you very much.

It's slightly tough, but not too much.

I can taste the sea, but not so much.

It has a light flavor.

Yes. Octopus has a light flavor.

But it has a lot of "umami" compounds.

The suckers offer a texture that's truly unique to the octopus.

Boil it in water for just a moment.

For some, the chewy suckers are the best part.

Nice texture.

It's fun to eat.

Different from the meat. Almost crunchy in a way.

At first, I thought, "You eat that?!"

Octopus lovers wouldn't be satisfied
without also eating the suckers.

I understand now.

This octopus was cooked with "daikon" radish and pumpkin for two hours in "dashi" and soy sauce.

If raw isn't your thing, octopus is good simmered, too!

I love this.

It's very tender.

Simmering it with "daikon"
makes the octopus softer.

"Daikon" enzymes break down
proteins in the octopus meat.

Here, octopus is marinated with Japanese herbs.

Fresh octopus is seasoned with soy sauce and flame-broiled, but only for 40 seconds, to keep its texture.

It's then mixed with herbs like Japanese wild parsley, Japanese ginger, and sesame, and marinated in a soy sauce-based dressing.

This is Seki's original recipe.

He knows his octopus.

Really delicious, it's vegetables and little bit of sesame in here.

It mixes really, really well.

It's really, really fresh but you still get this really nice smell of the grilled soy sauce.

It's quite savory.

The cooked soy sauce aroma
matches well with octopus.

Octopus is rich in taurine, an organic compound known to be an energy booster.

It also provides a slight sweetness.

Octopus is also high in protein and low in calories, making it quite healthy.

"Itadakimasu."

"Oishii."

It's rich but refreshing.

GOW, from the UK, is enjoying some sea urchin sushi.

Japan is the world's largest consumer of this seafood.

Sea urchins are uniquely round and spiky.

Their reproductive organs are usually eaten raw, and only make up 10% of the whole body.

GOW heads to Iwate, a great place to find sea urchins.

She's been invited to go out fishing.

Thanks for having me.

Due to foggy weather and high waves, departure was delayed by two hours.

The fishing spot is 10 minutes from port.

It's shallow here.

Oh, about up to your waist? I see.

The sea here is shallow and filled with flat reefs, which is quite rare in Japanese waters.

When the tide is low, a three-meter-deep, 100-meter-long ditch can be seen.

This man-made ditch was dug to encourage a stable supply of sea urchins.

During low tides, it's possible to simply walk here to catch them.

It's sea urchin catching time!

Multiple fishers in scuba gear dive into the water.

They grab sea urchins and place them into nets.

When their nets are full, they return to the boat, dump the sea urchins, and repeat for about two hours.

- A lot, huh?
- Yes.

Looks heavy.

This is what they eat.

Their food? Kelp?

- Exactly.
- They eat like this?

Sea urchin food.

Sea urchins are in the same family as starfish.

They mainly eat kelp and other types of seaweed.

The "Oyashio" and "Kuroshio" Currents meet in this area, feeding it with nutrient-rich seawater.

This and its stable temperature, 15 degrees Celsius year-round, helps "kombu" kelp grow in large numbers.

The sea urchin's sweetness is said to come from the kelp's glutamic acid, which generates glycine and alanine when consumed.

All of these factors lead to sweet, umami-packed sea urchins.

They offer me some freshly-caught urchin.

There's a lot in here.

Wow, it's packed!

Here we go.

Wow. Good.

"Oishii."

Sweet!

There's about 25 kilos of urchin in each container.

They caught about 500 kilos in total, but they say today's catch was small because of the rough sea.

Speaking of delicious, my next stop is a restaurant serving local sea urchin specialties.

A full sea urchin set. Enjoy.

So much urchin.

Many, many.

This clear soup is a traditional local dish.

Sea urchin is boiled and served with abalone steamed with sake.

It's seasoned with soy sauce and a pinch of salt, then garnished with thinly-sliced green onion and "shiso."

Firm texture.

It goes down smoothly too.
Nice, gentle flavor.

Next up, sea urchin grilled in its shell.

Compared to raw urchin,
it's quite stiff when cooked.

It's like cream. Very rich and refined.

I think anyone from around the world
would fall in love with this dish.

Sea urchin is not only good raw as a sushi topping, but also simmered or grilled.

GOW experienced how the locals enjoy it.

Next, she visits a local facility that raises quality sea urchins.

- Hello.
- Hi.

She's welcomed by the manager, Hakoishi Kazuhiro.

They collect roe from sea urchins in autumn and leave them here to hatch.

They raise the sea urchins for about a year until they get around two centimeters wide.

Here are some baby urchins.

Wow, there are a ton!

See?

They're moving!

These hair-like strands are their tube feet.

There are suckers on the ends.

So that's how they move!

They grow slowly.

They're six centimeters when fishers catch them.
It takes about four years for them to reach that size.

Four years! That's long.

These young sea urchins play a big role in the fishing method used in the reef-filled ditches.

2.5 million young sea urchins are selected and released into the sea every year.

They spend two years in that natural environment, eating seaweed and growing from five to six centimeters long.

Next, fishers move them to the ditches, where they spend another year.

During that time, they are fed kelp, which improves their quality.

The young sea urchins bred here are the first link in the long chain leading to a stable supply of delicious sea urchins.

We're going to feed them their beloved kelp!

It's huge!

Hakoishi begins feeding the young sea urchins kelp before they are released.

Along with improving their quality, this gets them used to its flavor.

They're stuck to the kelp.

These white parts have been eaten?

It's jagged. It means they nibbled on it here.

No face, but a mouth.

What a strange creature.

Do sea urchins only eat kelp?

They nibble everything, even rocks.

Next, another important factor in raising good sea urchins.

What's next?

Cleaning the tanks.

This brown stuff is feces.

I see!

Feces spoil the water,
which weakens the sea urchins.

The 200 tanks here must be cleaned every two weeks.

It's tough work, but necessary for the health of the sea urchins.

It feels like I'm in Ghostbusters!

The result of all this time and effort is sweet, delicious sea urchin.

Shimoda, Shizuoka, is located at the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula.

This port town is the country's biggest place for a certain type of fish.

Cases of bright red fish form several lines.

They have eyes of gold.

They're called "kinmedai."

This high-end fish lives over 200 meters below sea level, and its ecology is largely a mystery.

"Kinmedai" are caught all year round.

About 5,000 tons are landed each year, and it's a big seller at Tokyo's wholesale markets.

Kyle from Canada visits one to find out more.

Is that "kinmedai?"

Wow.

The name "kinmedai" is made up of two words: "kinme" and "dai."

"Kinme" means gold eyes.

"Dai" refers to sea bream, or alfonsino.

Its eyes are large because it lives in deep waters.

It evolved that way to be able to
see in the dark so far down.

I see.

"Kinmedai" living so deep down make them difficult to catch.

So in the past, they weren't too common.

It wasn't until the 1970s that catch numbers increased dramatically.

The development of fishing technology, like fish finders, made it easier to fish in deep waters.

The deep-sea environment has given the fish another unique quality.

Deep-sea fish are fattier.

- The more fat, the more delicious?
- Exactly.

To survive in cold deep-sea waters, the fish eat a lot and fatten up to stay warm throughout the year.

How much does one fish cost?

Today, about 70 dollars for this size.

- Isn't that expensive?
- It's a high-grade fish.

How does it taste?

It's time to give this high-grade fish a try.

To try it out, I'm in the busy Tokyo district of Ginza.

This "kinmedai" restaurant offers many delicious ways to enjoy the fish.

Hello.

To the left, "kinmedai" simmered in soy sauce, sake, and "mirin" sweet sake.

On the right is "sashimi" prepared four different ways.

This is called "shimozukuri," or "frosted."

For this, hot water is quickly poured over the fish to cook the surface.

Very tender.

The skin is a bit crispy. Nice texture.

The rich sweetness of the fatty meat excites the palate.

This is the same section, salted and aged for three days.

I've never had anything like this.

There's so much "umami." Outstanding.

It's quite different, isn't it?

Yes, the "umami" increases with aging.
Not the same as raw fish.

Even "sashimi" can come in different ways.

Comparing different "kinmedai" dishes is fun.

And I haven't even tried the simmered version yet!

It's tender.

It's tender, but the meat is nicely held together.

And this rich fat...

I've never had anything this good.

The fat between the skin and meat
melts when it's simmered.

The umami-rich fat and the
smooth meat can be enjoyed together.

As you said, it's quite smooth.
And sophisticated!

"Kinmedai" - offering rich umami brought to you straight from the depths of the ocean.

What's this clear, skinny fish?

The little guys are called "shirauo."

They're fully grown at only 10 centimeters long.

They can only be caught in certain areas such as brackish waters, where salt and fresh water mix.

Fished in early spring, "shirauo" symbolize the coming of the season.

Whether eaten raw or cooked, your mouth is filled with a fresh taste of spring.

Dasha, from Belarus, heads to go get some.

She's come to Aomori to visit the largest "shirauo" fishing location in the country.

Lake Ogawara is Aomori's largest.

It's the size of New York's Manhattan!

The lake contains brackish water because it flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Around 50% of domestic "shirauo" are caught here.

- Good morning.
- Morning.

Thank you for having us.

Numao Eiichi is a third-generation fisher with over 50 years of experience.

We'll depart now.

Here we go.

Dasha gets to tag along!

Numao gets to where they need to go in about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, fishers keep a close eye on a fish finder so they don't miss anything.

- Do you see any?
- Some, yes.

This circle here?

Yes, there.

A small school of "shirauo" is found 10 meters below the surface.

Okay!

On his mark, the fishers quickly lower a gigantic 350-meter-long net into the water.

The school of fish is surrounded with the net in a method called enclosure fishing.

These nets look different.

Right. This one traps the fish.

Because the fish are so small, they use a fine mesh net made from soft nylon.

It's a perfect circle.

Once the enclosure is complete, both ends are reeled in, gradually bringing the school closer to the boat.

It's getting narrower.

Almost there.

There's the fine mesh net.

The fine nylon mesh net could tear if reeled in by machine, so it must be done manually.

Fine mesh traps more water, making them much heavier.

The fishers all work hard to get it inside the boat.

They work at it for about 15 minutes.

Finally, they reach the section that contains "shirauo."

They're so transparent!

It's completely see-through!

How beautiful.

Auctions occur twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Fishers quickly send the "shirauo" back by speed boat while still fresh.

Fishery cooperative staff then weigh the catch and prepare it for auction.

With the sound of a bell, the auction begins.

Everything must conclude quickly for the sake of freshness.

Local wholesalers make their purchases in haste.

With no time to waste, the fish is loaded and shipped to markets and restaurants all over Japan.

Dasha wonders how "shirauo" is used in everyday meals.

She turns to Ebina Ikuko, known locally as a great cook.

She will use "shirauo" caught the same morning.

She boils them in water with a pinch of salt.

The color changes right away.

It's nice, right?

Yes, very white.

They're ready to eat in just five minutes.

Freshly boiled.

Very soft.

It almost melts in your mouth.

When you boil white fish,
it usually gets dry, but this isn't.

Take a gander at these home-cooked dishes packed with "shirauo."

Start with the "sashimi."
It's very fresh.

Dasha dips the fish into soy sauce with ginger.

Interesting texture. Crunchy and sweet.
Not fishy at all.

Rice balls with "shirauo," cheese, sesame seeds, and "shiso" herbs.

It was Ebina who came up with this unique mix of ingredients.

"Itadakimasu."

It's full of healthy ingredients.

You eat the whole fish,
even the bones.

No nutrition is lost.
That's quite rare.

Ebina used to go out on the fishing boats as well.

You go early in the morning.

The fish glimmer in the sun.

They're unlike any other fish.

I'm very grateful for what
Lake Ogawara provides.

Dishes made with passion using "shirauo" - the gift from Lake Ogawara.

Meet our German reporter, Marie.

She's at a wholesale market in Tokyo.

- Good morning. I'm Marie.
- Welcome.

Could you show me "aori-ika?"

Here it is.

Wow. Huge!

Quite large for a squid, yes.

We call it the king of squid.

Large ones can get to be 50 centimeters long and weigh over five kilograms.

The high-end cephalopod is found in warm waters from the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean.

It changes color when you touch it.

Wow.

If they change color, they're fresh.
Actually, they're still alive.

They look like aliens!

They use a special tool to maintain freshness after landing and transport.

Check this out. We do something
special to stop the ink.

See the clip here?

Yes.

Squid meat starts to spoil
once it touches the ink.

Marie heads for Tokushima, where this method is from.

She visits Japan's leading researcher of "aori-ika."

Ueta Yukio has been studying the squid for 30 years.

He says it has unique traits that set it apart from all other squid.

This is the facility where we raise them.
When we get closer, they change color.

- They change color?
- Did you see it change just now?

- Yes, it was so quick.
- When they're on guard, they turn black.

Normally, squid are largely translucent.

They have three pigment-producing cells.

Red, brown and yellow.

When startled, "aori-ika" activate all three cells, turning black.

Once relaxed, the squid become translucent again.

They also use their colors to communicate.

They use their colors to talk?

Exactly.

Their ink is also unique.

Oh, ink!

Squid ink is highly viscous
and doesn't dissolve well.

When attacked by a large fish,
it spits ink shaped like itself, and escapes.

Octopuses use ink to hide themselves from enemies.

Squid create several copies of themselves,
and dash before the clouds of ink disappear.

If the squid release ink during transport, it will cling to their flesh and spoil it.

Something to prevent this is done immediately after landing.

It changed color instantly!

They change when hit.

Amazing.

This method is called, appropriately enough, "hammering."

The squid instantly lose consciousness, turning transparent without releasing ink.

This method preserves freshness for 24 hours.

Another essential item - these binder clips.

Years of research and trial and error led to this ingenious solution, which is a trade secret.

It's done by clipping a specific part of the squid's body.

When you do that...

No ink!

That keeps them translucent.

One more critical element is the water temperature.

It cannot be too cold.

We keep it around 10 degrees Celsius.

- Is the temperature important?
- Yes.

Most fish are shipped at five to six degrees Celsius.

But squid would turn white at under 10 degrees.

So, this method keeps them translucent and free of ink.

In this way, they are sent to wholesale markets in Tokyo and other parts of Japan.

Marie's next stop is a local sushi restaurant.

Of course, she's gonna eat some freshly-caught squid.

To improve the texture of this very fresh meat, chef Osugi makes a series of tiny slits.

The final touch is a special soy sauce.

This is a mixture of soy sauce
and minced "aori-ika" liver.

The green part is "sudachi,"
a type of Japanese citrus fruit.

Very sweet.

The liver really enhances the "umami."
This is so delicious.

I'm glad you like it.

Which part are those?

The tentacles.

Wow.

Nothing goes to waste.

- What's that?
- This is the beak. The mouth.

- You can eat the mouth?
- It's good. Nice crunchy texture.

The tentacles have a savory aroma and crispy texture.

Here is the beak.

The texture is a little bit stronger compared to the other parts of the squid.

You have to chew it a lot.

Here comes another surprise.

An eye?

Bullseye! An "aori-ika" eyeball.

- Can you eat this?
- Don't worry.

The whole thing?

Everything but the core.
Like an olive.

It burst like a grape.
Wow, it's actually okay. Nice and salty.

If you hear "eyeball," it's a shock, but...

You really use every part of the squid.

That philosophy is very Japanese. How nice.

We're taking a life, so it's important to
use as much of the squid as possible.

"Give thanks to the life given."

An important philosophy here in Japan.

Toyama Bay is surrounded by 3,000-meter-tall mountains that are covered with snow even in spring.

The bay is known as one of the best fishing areas in Japan.

The nutrient-rich waters flowing down in mountain streams attract a wide variety of marine life.

When spring arrives, schools of "hotaru-ika" approach the bay.

They're only six centimeters long, but they're one of the many gifts that Toyama Bay has to offer.

Even though they're small, they're packed with "umami."

Kyle is on his way to Toyama Bay to find out more.

He arrives at a port city called Namerikawa.

And his first stop is this time-honored restaurant.

- Hello.
- Welcome.

These were caught this morning.

They must be fresh.

Yes. I am going to prepare them as a "sashimi" dish.

So that's how you remove the innards.

The innards can't be eaten raw, so we remove them.

For "sashimi," we also remove the eyes.

Then there's the cartilage, which also must be taken out.

What a laborious process.

Yes.

They must be hard to handle with their small size.

Yes, but sashimi is the best way to
appreciate fresh "hotaru-ika."

It's said that fresh "hotaru-ika" prepared as "sashimi" is one of the best ways to enjoy the creature.

Kyle tries it with ginger and soy sauce.

Mmmm! It's quite chewy, with a little bit of crunch to it.

It doesn't have that rubbery consistency that you get with squid.

The palate is actually quite neutral, so it goes well with the soy sauce and ginger.

It's very easy to eat.

These are the tentacles.
The texture is different from the body.

Wow. It's even crunchier.

It's a little more crunchy with the legs.

It really feels like you're eating noodles, actually.

It's quite fun.

It also goes down smoothly.

For the next dish, Hirosawa boils the squid whole with a pinch of salt.

They immediately turn white in the pot,
and they continue to change color, don't they?

Yes. They gradually turn pink.

We call it "sakura-ni," or "cherry blossom boiling," since
peak season for "hotaru-ika" is during cherry blossom season.

- What a spring-like name.
- Indeed.

In just two minutes, the plump "hotaru-ika" are done.

What a beautiful color.

Vivid, freshly-boiled "hotaru-ika."

Let's give them a try.

It's like an explosion in your mouth!

Exactly. When boiled, they can be eaten whole.

That way, the innards burst when chewed
and release strong "umami."

Because of their size, the squid can be enjoyed in one bite.
It's a very condensed richness.

This dish combines the body's subtle sweetness and the strong "umami" of the innards.

So, do I use this sauce?

Yes, please go ahead. It's a vinegared "miso."

What a nice creamy color. Let me try it.

A perfect match. So tasty.

The sourness of the vinegar and the saltiness of the miso creates a really creamy flavor profile in the mouth.

Mr. Hirosawa's restaurant serves a special spring menu.

It's a full course consisting of only "hotaru-ika" dishes prepared in various ways.

What a treat!

When I see "hotaru-ika" in the market,
I know that spring has arrived.

It's almost like reaping a harvest from your own garden.

When seen in their natural environment, "hotaru-ika" actually put on quite a show.

Fishing takes place in the middle of the night.

Fishers bring in fixed nets that were previously set out.

Kyle is invited to join them.

Using searchlights, the boats carefully move through the complete darkness of the sea.

The water is so calm. This is great!

They arrive just 15 minutes after departure.

It looks like the net is over there.

Look at all the seagulls and cranes! It's amazing. Wow!

I can see something already.

Yeah. There they are.

Is that them?
Now I can see them.

They're glowing!

The glow comes from the photophores, or light organs, on the tips of the tentacles.

When they touch the net, the squid sense danger, and begin glowing as one.

There is another boat across from the fishing boat.

It carries tourists who have come to see this extraordinary sight.

The fishers welcome tourists, sparing no effort to please them.

Okay. Turn off the lights.

They turn off the lights so the crowd can see the squid.

They are glowing!

This is amazing.

It looks like a star-filled night sky.

It's absolutely beautiful.

The ocean, illuminated purely by nature: this is the pride of Toyama Bay.

Did you see that? That was amazing.

That's so beautiful. Wow!

"Hotaru-ika," the unique creatures that they are, announce the coming of spring at Toyama Bay.

Cool seafood is caught all around Japan.

And their flavor is the result of the environment they come from - - something that we are able to enjoy thanks to the wisdom of producers and chefs.

These gifts from the sea are the backbone of Japanese culinary tradition.

And the recipes they influence will continue to wow us for generations to come.

In Tokyo, every ingredient has its own story.