| OCTOPUS | SHRIMP | SQUID |
| SHELLFISH | FIN FISH | FILLETS/LOINS |
| SPECIALTY ITEMS |
'ZENGYOREN' JAPAN HAMACHI SIDES
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  CLICK ON THUMBNAIL TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE |
Although wild caught hamachi is available throughout the year, the prime quality pen raised product is available from November through March. Product quality is normally poor during the spawning months of April through September. Wise buyers will use frozen product during these months to avoid high priced lower quality fresh product.
Fresh hamachi is imported to the U.S. as collar on, kama (pectoral fin) on, tail off sides or as headed and gutted fish. Frozen product is imported in the same forms. Size of the sides is usually 2.0 kg up, 2.5 kg up or 3.0 kg up with substantial price premiums on the larger sizes.
Sides are placed on an absorbent backing board and vacuum packed. Packers typically mark the weight on each side in kgs and mark the total kg weight on the carton. Some packers use cardboard cartons and others still use Styrofoam cases. Cartons are typically catch weight.
Common catch areas are Azumacho on the island of Kyushu and Ehime on the island of Honshu.
Pen raised hamachi are brought to the plant live, killed and bled and quickly frozen for premium quality.
Some
packers in Japan have recently been using carbon monoxide to keep the
bloodline red. The process is illegal in Japan for domestic
consumption. Although product processed without carbon monoxide
has a darker bloodline, freshness of the product and eating quality is
as good or better than CO treated product. If you use fresh
hamachi for the majority of your business, consider switching to frozen
in the months June through September for more consistent quality and
substantially cheaper pricing.