Seafood ── Shellfish and cephalopods
Ise Ebi
the long-whiskered lobster of celebration tables
A large spiny lobster with thick, long antennae and a red shell. Its firm flesh carries strong sweetness and a crisp bite raw. Its showy form makes it a centerpiece for New Year's and wedding meals alike.
- Shrimp and crab
What it's made of
Long, thick antennae sweep out to either side, and its reddish shell gives it a showiness fit for a celebration table. The flesh is firm with strong sweetness, and raw as sashimi it's known for a crisp, clean bite. Cooked, the meat firms up further, and grilled whole in its shell it's said to carry deep, concentrated flavor alongside the shell's toasty aroma; broth from its head is strong enough to carry a miso or clear soup on its own.
How it's made
It tends to hide in crevices and under rocky overhangs, and is mostly caught one at a time by gillnet or free-diving rather than in bulk. Keeping it alive and intact through shipping is prized, since liveliness affects its price. Beyond sashimi, it's grilled whole in its shell or simmered into a broth-rich soup, and the largest specimens are reserved as the centerpiece of a celebration spread.
Why it took this shape
It favors rocky reef zones along ria coastlines, with Toba and the wider Shima area, plus the southern Boso Peninsula, as its main grounds. The coast's deep inlets are thought to offer shelter from predators while it grows slowly over time. Its showy form has long made it the centerpiece of New Year's and wedding meals, a role owed in no small part to what this particular coastline provides.
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
- AmaebiFormally the northern shrimp, it lives in cold water 200-700m deep. Raw, it carries a pronounced sweetness and a melting texture, which gives it this everyday name. Sold year-round for sashimi and sushi.
- Botan EbiA large shrimp said to be named for the peony-like red markings on its shell. Prized for a sticky, dense texture and strong sweetness, most often eaten raw as sashimi or sushi.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known source
- Known source: Mie, Toba
Fished mainly in the ria-coast waters around Toba.
- Known source: Chiba, Tateyama
The southern Boso Peninsula is also a major landing area.
Contrast
- Kuruma EbiA striped prawn said to be named for its wheel-like curl when curled up. Cooking firms the flesh and heightens a rich sweetness, known as a premium item served live or as tempura.
- Botan EbiA large shrimp said to be named for the peony-like red markings on its shell. Prized for a sticky, dense texture and strong sweetness, most often eaten raw as sashimi or sushi.