Seafood ── Shellfish and cephalopods
Hotaru Ika
a squid whose light organs turn the shoreline blue at night
A small squid about 5cm long with light-producing organs. Its rise to shallow water to spawn each spring is a well-known seasonal sight. Eaten whole, guts included, boiled and dressed in vinegar-miso for a rich, faintly bitter taste.
- Squid and octopus
What it's made of
A small squid about 5cm long, dotted with light-producing organs across its body. Boiled and dressed in vinegar-miso, it is eaten whole, guts included, for a rich savoriness laced with a faint bitterness. Its soft flesh sits against the crisp bite of its tiny suckers, and the novelty of eating a whole squid in one bite is part of the appeal. Deep-fried as tempura, its texture turns noticeably lighter.
How it's made
It rises from deep water to shallows to spawn each spring, and is caught during that window by set net or by scooping up shoals along the coast at night. It spoils fast, so boiling it right after landing is standard; eaten raw, the innards are removed first as a precaution against parasites. The scoop-net fishing itself has also become a popular seasonal tourist draw, pulling in crowds of onlookers.
Why it took this shape
Toyama Bay is said to have a shelf-like seabed that drops straight into a deep trench close to shore, an environment that lets this deep-water squid rise near the shallows to spawn. According to the prefecture, this terrain is what makes both coastal scoop-net fishing and the seasonal spectacle of watching it possible, and it has become a fixture of spring along this coast.
Before you go
- How to shop at a supermarketHow to choose prepared foods, sashimi, and packaged sushi, when discount stickers tend to appear, region-only specialties, buying by weight, the checkout and bagging flow, and sampling etiquette at a local supermarket.
- Roadside stations, direct-sale stands, and marketsHow to enjoy buying food near where it's produced, visiting and shopping at morning markets and fish markets, what to expect at farm stands, and finding local food at roadside stations (michi-no-eki).
- Foods to look for in winterA guide to foods often seen in Japan around winter — nabe hot pot, fugu, oysters, crab, year-end soba, and osechi — with rough pointers for finding them.
Dishes in the same style
- Aori IkaA large squid whose fin skirts the entire body. Its translucent flesh carries strong sweetness and a thick, dense texture, making it one of the pricier squid at market, best raw as sashimi or sushi, in season summer through autumn.
- IidakoA small octopus about 20cm long. In females during spawning season, the body fills with roe whose grains are said to resemble cooked rice — the source of its name. Simmered, the flesh turns tender with a popping roe texture, in season through winter.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known source
- Known source: Toyama, Toyama
Toyama Bay's shelf-like undersea slope lets spawning squid rise close to shore, known for both net fishing and hand-scooping tours.
Contrast
- Yari IkaA slender squid named for its spear-like shape. Its flesh is thinner and softer than surume-ika, prized raw for a delicate sweetness and melting texture, in season winter through spring, and slow to toughen when cooked.
- Sumi IkaA squid with a chalky internal shell instead of cartilage. Its flesh stays tender when cooked, springy and thick with a refined sweetness, favored in sushi, stir-fries, and dishes using its ink, said to deepen in flavor winter through spring.