With the aim of boosting and promoting Japanese seafood products in the Middle East region, JETRO invited chefs from the UAE, where the economy is growing remarkably, and Japanese food is rapidly gaining popularity. ハイパーブラックジャックtion explored various prefecture of Japan from 7th to 17th of March and comprised of five top chefs from Zuma Restaurant Dubai & Abu Dhabi (Chef Zsolt Csiki, Chef Ali Abdulmunim and Chef Srikanth Surai), Roka Restaurant (Chef Libor Dobis), and Mimi Kakushi (Chef Vladimir Kim).

ハイパーブラックジャックn visited Marukaichi Suisan in Monbetsu, Hokkaido:

ハイパーブラックジャックhe first day, the delegation visited Marukaichi Suisan, one of the largest marine product manufacturers in Japan. The company was established in Monbetsu in 1972. Monbetsu is located ハイパーブラックジャックhe Sea of Okhotsk, which is rich with marine resources, and is considered as of one of the leading marine product cities in Hokkaido.

During the visit, Marukaichi Suisan showed their high production and quality control system which conforms to HACCP standards. A tour was organized at some of the large factories inside the premises to showcase their cutting-edge facility and equipment specialized for each type of their product including a live crab factory, scallop factory, etc. Chefs were able to also taste a variety of different robata grilled seafood at their restaurant and purchase some of their famous products at Marukaichi Suisan direct shop.

Delegation explored Sanriku Toretate Ichiba & Genshouei Kitanihon Suisan in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture:

On 11th March, in partnership with the Iwate Prefectural Government, ハイパーブラックジャックtion explored the Ofunato city of Iwate Prefecture to visit one of Japan’s largest abalone fisheries, the Genshouei Kitanihon Suisan. These abalones have a soft, tender texture and delicate liver being cultivated in an advanced land-based farming system.

The group also visited Sanriku Toretate Ichiba which is also located in Ofunato. The Sanriku Coast is home to one of the best fishing grounds in the world. It was severely hit by a massive earthquake that triggered a tsunami on March 11, 2011. The coast has gradually rebuilt from the horrific tragedy and Sanriku Toretate Ichiba helped many people of Sanriku especially the local fishermen to recover using their state-of-the-art freezing technology called CAS (Cell Alive System).

Sanriku Toretate Ichiba showcased their refrigeratiハイパーブラックジャックechnology called CAS that can freeze food without destroying the cellular structure, thereby preserving the authentic taste and flavor of the foods. Chefs can import various frozen seafood to the Middle East, ensuring a longer shelf life and consistent quality taste.

Both companies provided some product samples, and the delegation were impressed ハイパーブラックジャックhe taste quality of the packed seafood products using CAS of Sanriku Toretate, Ichiba and the soft and flavourful abalone from Genshouei Kitanihon Suisan. The delegation saw a great potential of the products for the Middle East market.

Delegation experience at Maruha Nichiro Tuna Fish Farm and Toyosu Fish Market Tuna Auction

On 14th March, in collaboration with Maruha Nichiro, the world’s largest seafood company based in Japan, provided an opportunity to JETRO’s ハイパーブラックジャックn to experience an actual tuna fishing at Maruha Nichiro’s tuna farm. The delegation arrived early onsite and joined the fishermen to catch tuna fish for that day. The Maruha Nichiro’s team shared important details about tuna farming and accommodated several questions from the delegation.

The following day at around 5:30am, Maruha Nichiro also gave an opportunity to the chefs to see an actual fresh tuna auction at Toyosu Fish Market, one of Tokyo’s wholesale markets and one of the largest fish markets in the world. The group also tasted several types of sashimi that were cut up ハイパーブラックジャックhe spot from various suppliers in Toyosu Fish Market and visited some vegetable wholesale shops.

Kappabashi Visit and Japan Food Experience:

ハイパーブラックジャックtion also explored the Kappabashi Kitchen Tools Street, where they purchased several Japanese kitchenware for personal and business use. During the entire trip, chefs were able to try and taste various authentic local cuisines from different prefecture, and gathered new ideas, techniques, and products to explore.

All the chefs extended their deepest appreciation and satisfaction for the whole concept and itinerary of the trip prepared by JETRO. They found it to be a very unforgettable and enriching experience. They inspected several facilities, tasted the quality of various Japanese seafood products, conducted business negotiations, and made some immediate decisions to purchase. They also gained valuable knowledge about Japanese seafood products which they can utilize, explore, or share stories with their customers about a dish based ハイパーブラックジャックhe experiences.