The variety of smaller sea creatures sold in the Tsukiji market is mind boggling. Here’s a small sampling of the pictures that I took.
First of all, there are many, many different tentacled monstrocities.
These seem to be destined for sashimi.
Live tiger shrimp.
Deep red color occures more in fish here more frequently than I am used to.
I think this is some kind of sea robin.
This seems to be Alfonsino.
All kinds of unfamiliar bivalves.
There’s stuff that I can’t even identify.
And then, there’s stuff that I, sadly, can identify. This is whale meat. The price tag, if I read it correctly says 3800 yen per kilo. That’s about $20/lb.
Japanese whailing is a highly controvercial practice, and I highly disapprove of it. Having said that, I have to mention that I’ve had whale meat a few times. In the Soviet times whale meat was sometimes sold in stores. People bought it not because it was particularly tasty (it wasn’t), but because regular meat was not available. Fried, it was very tough in texture, and in taste it was like a mix of pork and beef, yet with a fishy aftertaste.
Beautiful pictures. I have been dying to see Japan myself.
Just tell me something. Do they eat those sea robins? Blech.
Any fish that croaks, and has wings won’t be on my plate.
Thank you so much. These posts are beautiful. I about lost my mind in joy at seeing all that gorgeous tuna.
I thought whaling was done under the dubious cover of “research.” I had no idea they sold the meat so openly and that it was fully legal within the country. It’s so dark and bloody it doesn’t even look appetizing.
I actually like fried sea robin fillets. It’s a very tasty fish. In the past fishermen had a similar attitude with monkfish, and now it’s a gourmet item and everything.