When is the season for bluefin squid? Introducing restaurants where you can eat in Wakasa and Tsuruga area.
Generally, the season for bluefin squid is from fall to spring, but in the Reinan area (Wakasa and Tsuruga), the best time to eat them is from September to November. It is characterized by its rich flavor, and those caught in Wakasa Bay in particular are reputed to be delicious. This article introduces the characteristics and season of bluefin squid, as well as restaurants serving bluefin squid in Wakasa and Tsuruga.
What is aori squid? Characteristics and Seasonal Season
The bluefin squid, known as the king of squid, is characterized by its rich flavor, sweetness, soft texture, and chewiness. Here, we will give an overview of the bluefin squid and its season.
King of squid with rich flavor.
The bluefin squid is also called "the king of squid" and "autumn squid," and is the best tasting squid in terms of chewiness, sweetness, and flavor. The flesh is thick, and the texture is soft and tender when it is laid down. It is often eaten as sashimi, but it is also delicious as sushi or tempura. It is also good to eat it raw, or quickly seared.
Generally in season from fall to spring
The season for bluefin squid is generally considered to be from fall to spring, but it varies from region to region. Spring is spawning season, so many bluefin squid gather in coastal areas and are landed.
They also vary in size depending on the time of year. In September, when squid are first caught, they are about the size of a palm, weighing about 100 grams, but by late fall they have grown to about 300 to 500 grams. This is because the hatchlings grow up from spring to summer and eat a lot of food in autumn and winter.
The main production area of bluefin reef squid is western Japan
Aori squid is a marine product that can be caught off the coast of most of Japan, especially in western Japan. It lives in seagrass beds and rocky reef zones at depths of several meters to around 50 meters, and prefers high water temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius or higher. It is caught in abundance along the Pacific coast from Kyushu to Honshu.
How to identify a good bluefin squid
If you are going to eat bluefin squid, you want it to be fresh and delicious. In fact, fresh bluefin squid can be judged by its appearance. Here are some pointers on how to recognize the freshness of bluefin squid.
Transparent epidermis and beautiful black eyes
Fresh bluefin squid are transparent with clearly visible skin grain and patterns, and the color changes when the epidermis is touched. Squid are translucent in the sea, but when they are landed, they become excited and their entire surface changes to red before taking on a whitish appearance. Therefore, whether or not the reddish color remains on the surface is the key to determining freshness.
Eye color is also important. They should be clean black and look raised and popping out.
Glossy, elastic and rounded body
Fresh bluefin squid has a shiny surface and firm elasticity. In addition, the body has a rounded shape. When fresh, the entrails are crushed and the body becomes flattened.
Characteristics and Seasonal Season of Blue Squid Caught in Wakasa Bay
In Wakasa Bay, bluefin squid are landed at almost every fishing port. The bluefin reef squid from Wakasa Bay has a reputation for being particularly sweet and tasty. Let's take a look at the reasons why the blue squids caught in Wakasa Bay are so delicious and when they are in season.
Good quality squid grows in the blessed environment of Wakasa Bay.
Wakasa Bay is famous for producing sweet and tasty bluefin squid. The complex topography of the Rias coastline of Wakasa Bay makes it easy for small fish, which serve as food for squid, to gather here in search of plankton. In addition to the abundance of food, there are many seaweed beds where squid can easily inhabit, an environment suitable for spawning, which is also a factor in the growth of good quality squid.
The bluefin squid caught in Wakasa Bay is in season from September to November.
The bluefin squid caught in Wakasa Bay are in season from September to November and are delicious. The baby squid born in early summer grow fast and are the right size to eat from September to November. This is also the time when you can enjoy delicious bluefin reef squid at restaurants and inns in Wakasa.
4 restaurants where you can eat bluefin squid in Wakasa and Tsuruga
This page introduces restaurants in the Reinan area (Wakasa and Tsuruga) that serve quality bluefin squid caught in Wakasa Bay. Check out the sashimi, seafood rice bowls, deep-fried dishes, and other specialties offered at each restaurant.
Sashimi and squid tempura in a relaxed atmosphere｜Mikata Hiyodamari
Appearance of the store in Mikata Sunny Daylight
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Mikata Yodamari is a Japanese-style izakaya that offers a wide variety of dishes using fresh seafood. Sashimi and seafood rolls made with fresh ingredients are well-reputed, and during the squid season, the restaurant offers dried squid char-grilled overnight.
The take-out Kaisen-don (seafood rice bowl), which can be eaten with reservations made by the day before, is topped with squid tempura and has a crispy texture. Located in a residential area one step back from the national highway, you can enjoy your meal in a relaxed atmosphere.
| Address | 44-6 Torihama, Wakasa-cho, Mikata-Kaminaka-gun, Fukui 919-1331 |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-45-0058 |
| Business hours | 18:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30) |
| Closed | Wednesdays |
| Reference site | Mikata Yodamari |
Squid bowl with a crunchy texture is a specialty｜Drive-in Yoshida
Appearance of Drive-in Yoshida's store
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Drive-in Yoshida is a restaurant that has been in business for nearly 50 years along Mikatagoko, a scenic spot representing Wakasa Bay National Park. In season, the restaurant serves dishes made with blue-ringed squid.
Drive-in Yoshida's "Ika-don" (squid bowl)
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The original rice bowl, "Ika-don" is an exquisite dish of finely chopped squid mixed with yam, shiso leaves, and special sauce in a well-balanced manner, giving it a crunchy texture. Gesoage (fried squid gizzards) and squid meat baked in butter soy sauce are also popular, making it an ideal place to stop by after a drive around Mikatagoko.
| Address | 70-3, Umiyama, Wakasa-cho, Mikata-Kaminaka-gun, Fukui 919-1461 |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-47-1438 |
| Business hours | 10:00-17:00 *Sale ends at the end of the day. *Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | Drive-in Yoshida Instagram |
A must for those who want to enjoy fresh seafood and local cuisine｜Fukuho Restaurant
Restaurant Fukuho is popular for its nigirizushi, kaisen chirashizushi, and kaisen donburi (seafood bowl) using fresh seafood from Obama, Wakasa. During the season of the blue-ringed squid, you can enjoy the sashimi.
The seafood items change with the seasons, so you can enjoy different seafood every time you visit. The Kaisen Chirashi Sushi includes Obama's famous "pickled sea bream" and the Kaisen Donburi includes "saba no heshiko," a traditional Wakasa ingredient, and is recommended for those who want to enjoy the local cuisine of Obama, Wakasa.
| Address | 8-5 Otemachi, Obama City, Fukui 917-0078 |
| Telephone number | 0770-53-2944 |
| Business hours | 11:30-14:00 (L.O.13:30) 17:00-21:00 (L.O. 20:00) Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | Restaurant Fukuho |
Squid rice topped with raw, pickled, or pickled geso is a specialty｜Restaurant Hama no Shiki
Dining Place Hama no Shiki is a restaurant that offers a locally produced and consumed menu based on the concept of "a restaurant that connects the deliciousness of Obama. You can enjoy dishes of bluefin squid, but depending on the time of year, dishes using other squid are offered.
The specialty "Obama no Ika-don" (squid bowl) is a delicacy recommended by local fishermen, offering three different tastes and textures: raw, pickled, and geso. Kaisen donburi (seafood bowls) that lavishly use rare ingredients such as Wakasa mahata, a phantom high-end fish, and Wakasa guji, a luxury food item, are also attractive. The restaurant has both chair seating and tatami mat seating, and is barrier-free, making it easy for people in wheelchairs to use.
| Address | 3-5 Kawasaki, Obama City, Fukui 917-0081, Japan |
|---|---|
| Telephone number | 0770-53-0141 |
| Business hours | 11:00 - 14:30 |
| Closed | 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, Year-end and New Year holidays *Please confirm details in advance. |
| Reference site | Restaurant Hama no Shiki |
The season for bluefin squid in Wakasa is from September to November! Enjoy the good quality squid!
The season for blue squid is generally considered to be from fall to spring, with the best time to eat blue squid from Wakasa Bay being from September to November. Squid grown in the blessed terrain of Wakasa Bay has a strong flavor and sweetness. When you visit Wakasa and Tsuruga, please enjoy the aori squid in season.
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).
Blessed with a rich harvest from the sea and mountains, Wakasa has supported the food culture of the Imperial Court since ancient times, and for more than 1,500 years, the road that brought seafood from Wakasa to Kyoto has been known as the "Saba Kaido," or mackerel road, and has a history of various cultural comings and goings. 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.