When is sea bream in season? Introducing the appeal of Tsuruga sea bream and restaurants where you can eat it in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture.
Natural sea bream is in season twice a year, in spring and fall. Sea bream is also widely farmed, and Tsuruga sea bream, which is farmed in Tsuruga Bay in Fukui Prefecture, is characterized by its consistent taste throughout the year in a favorable environment. This article explains when sea bream is in season, how to select it, and the characteristics of Tsuruga sea bream. It also introduces restaurants in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, where you can enjoy Tsuruga sea bream.
When is the season for sea bream?
Natural sea bream is in season twice a year: in spring, from March to June, and in fall, from September to November. Sea bream is a member of the sea bream family. Sea bream can be caught all year round in various parts of Japan and are actively farmed, so you can enjoy sea bream any time of the year, regardless of the month, but they are especially in season in spring and fall because they migrate to shallower waters in the surrounding seas and can be caught in large numbers.
Sea bream is popularly known as "cherry sea bream" in spring and "momiji sea bream" in fall, depending on the season. In spring, the sea bream are close to their spawning season, so it is attractive to enjoy their milt and roe. In fall and winter, sea breams eat a large amount of bait and store up nutrients in preparation for the spring spawning, and can be enjoyed when their meat is firm and full of fat.
How to choose a sea bream
To select a good sea bream, look at the overall color and thickness of the body, the condition of the eyes, and the fins. The overall color should be bright and the fish should be thick and firm. The fat underbelly and tail fins are rich in fat, and the raised dorsal fins are muscular and have a tasty, firm body.
Freshness is also indicated by the condition of the eyes, so choose clean ones with clear eyes and bluish luster.
Attraction of Tsuruga sea bream
Tsuruga sea bream, farmed in Tsuruga Bay, is a sea bream branded by Fukui Prefecture in September 2018. The following is an introduction to Tsuruga sea bream, which is one of the best farmed sea bream in Japan.
Enjoy the moderate fat content, crispy texture, and elegant sweetness.
The taste of Tsuruga sea bream is characterized by its moderate fat, refreshing and unctuous, crispy texture, elegant aroma, and subtle sweetness. It is the highest grade of cultured sea bream, and is as delicious as natural sea bream. When cooked, it is soft and fluffy with a strong flavor. The grilled skin is also crispy and enjoyable.
Consistent taste throughout the year
Taking advantage of the geographical location of Tsuruga Bay, Tsuruga sea bream is farmed and its taste is consistent throughout the year. Tsuruga Bay is a rias coast with many inlets. The rough waves of the Sea of Japan are mitigated and the waves are less likely to rise, ensuring a stable environment for sea bream farming. In addition, melted snow water rich in minerals and microorganisms flows in from the surrounding mountains, making the sea bream rich in nutrients and full of flavor.
While the water temperature is about 30 degrees Celsius in summer, it drops to about 10 degrees Celsius in midwinter, resulting in an annual temperature difference of nearly 20 degrees Celsius. Compared to other regions, the sea bream grows more slowly and has tighter flesh due to the longer low water temperature period. Another feature is that many of the sea bream have good appearance, with few scratches, defects, or scale jumps on the fins.
Tsuruga City: A restaurant where you can eat sea bream.
In Fukui Prefecture, there is a collection of restaurants where you can enjoy natural sea bream or Tsuruga sea bream, which is characterized by its plump elasticity and subtle sweetness. Here we introduce some of the best restaurants in Tsuruga City.
Enjoy sea bream dishes｜New Sunpia Tsuruga
New Sunpia Tsuruga boasts a variety of facilities and spacious guest rooms, including the only official ice skating rink of the Japan Skating Federation in Hokuriku. Inside the hotel, guests can enjoy French cuisine and kaiseki cuisine using ingredients from the Sea of Japan. For parties and banquet plans, we recommend the "Tsuruga Sea Bream Zukuri," which allows you to enjoy Tsuruga sea bream, including sea bream shabu and three types of sashimi.
| Address | 2 Kureha-cho, Tsuruga-shi, Fukui 914-0813 |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-24-2111 (for reservations only) |
| Business hours | Morning buffet】6:30〜9:30 Lunch】11:00～14:00 Dinner] 18:00 - 20:00 (L.O.19:30) |
| Closed | Tuesdays Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | New Sunpia Tsuruga |
Sea bream in Italian cuisine｜Italian Cuisine Teatro
Italian Cuisine Teatro is a Western-style restaurant that looks like an old Northern Italian house, featuring a brick structure surrounded by flowers. You can casually enjoy Italian cuisine such as pizza, pasta, and meat dishes.
We recommend the "Tsuruga Sea Bream Paella," which is so popular that many fans visit from outside the prefecture. The rice, which is filled with the flavor of the seafood, and the sea bream, which is baked to a fluffy and aromatic flavor, are an excellent match. Also recommended is the "Tsuruga Sea Bream and Friends Cream Pasta" filled with seafood such as scallions, octopus, and squid, as well as sea bream. However, the pasta is not on the regular menu, so ask if you want to try it.
| Address | 13-20 Heiwamachi, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture 914-0815 |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-21-5544 |
| Business hours | Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. / 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 11:30 - 14:30 / 17:30 - 20:30 |
| Closed | Unscheduled holidays Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | Italian Cuisine Teatro |
Fresh sea bream in a course meal｜MC Resort Umishoku Uosada
Located in MC Resort, Uosada's specialty is to cook seafood deep-fried from the fish tank on the spot. At lunch time, you can enjoy "Kaisen-don" and "Maguro-don," which are filled with seafood, and at dinner, you can enjoy Kaiseki cuisine, which is their signature dish. Recommended is the "Tsuruga sea bream course" (reservation required from 2 persons), which allows you to enjoy Tsuruga sea bream. You can enjoy fresh sea bream as sashimi or grilled fish.
| Address | 41-3-1 Kushikawa, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture 914-0821 |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-47-5274 |
| Business hours | 11:00-14:00 17:00-21:00 |
| Closed | Tuesdays, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays *Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | MC Resort Umishoku Uozada |
Echizenwakasa, Enjoy the delicacies of the mountains and sea｜Tsuruga Sazanami Resort Chobei
Tsuruga Sazanami Resort Choubei's Kamameshi (rice cooked with sea bream)
Citation meta. Tsuruga Sazanami Resort Chobei
Tsuruga Sazanami Resort Choubei is an inn where you can enjoy seasonal dishes using fresh delicacies from the rich nature of Echizen Wakasa, such as Tsuruga sea bream. A one-day course without overnight stay (by reservation only) is available, which includes sea bream kamameshi for the closing meal, a seafood barbecue on the seaside terrace from April to October, and specialty rice bowls topped with Echizen crab and boiled crabs from November. In the charcoal-grilled kaiseki, you can enjoy the luxury of grilling ingredients the way you like them.
| Address | 14-43-3, Meiko, Tsuruga, Fukui 914-0834, Japan |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-23-7818 |
| Business hours | Lunch time 11:00-14:00 (L.O.13:00) Dinner time 17:30-21:00 (L.O.19:30) Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | Tsuruga Sazanami Resort Chobei |
Taste both fugu and sea bream｜Tokiwa Cuisine
Koryori Tokiwa is a restaurant that serves fugu (blowfish), which it farms itself, as a dish. The Tsuruga sea bream course is available, which includes sea bream in nanbanzuke, thinly sliced sashimi, grilled with salt, and simmered.
| Address | 6-7 Aioi-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui 914-0062 |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-22-0512 |
| Business hours | 17:30-22:00 (L.O. 21:20) |
| Closed | Sunday *Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | Kori Cuisine Tokiwa |
Tsuruga sea bream is in season all year round! Let's go eat delicious sea bream!
Natural sea bream is in season twice a year, in spring and fall. On the other hand, Tsuruga sea bream, a brand name fish of Fukui Prefecture, can be enjoyed throughout the year. The reason why Tsuruga sea bream has a refreshing taste without any peculiarities and an elegant aroma is due to the favorable topography and water quality of Tsuruga Bay. In the Reinan area, there is a concentration of restaurants where you can enjoy delicious sea bream. Find a restaurant that interests you and try Tsuruga sea bream.
Selected as the nation's first "Premium" Japanese Heritage Site! Enjoy a variety of cultures
In July 2024, Obama City and Wakasa Town, centered on the Saba Road, were selected by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as the first Japanese Heritage site in Japan to be designated as a Special Priority Support Area (Japanese Heritage Premium).
The Tsuruga/Wakasa area is blessed with seafood from the sea and the mountains. Wakasa is one of the "Miketsukuni," a region that has supported the food culture of the Imperial Court since ancient times, and for more than 1,500 years has carried seafood from Wakasa to Kyoto along what came to be known as the "Saba Kaido," or mackerel road, which has a rich cultural history of traffic. Along the Saba Kaido, which connects Wakasa and Kyoto, there are Kumagawa-juku, shrines, temples, buildings, festivals, and other cultural assets, so be sure to take the time to visit Tsuruga and Wakasa.
The information is current as of November 2024. Information is subject to change without notice.