The Pleasures of Fresh Seafood
Hashitate is one of the prominent fishing ports on the Sea of Japan coast. Strolling around town, you will find plenty of shops, restaurants and guesthouses, run by fishermen, where you can enjoy authentic local seafood dishes all year round. The three most sought-after seafoods here are zuwai-gani (male snow crab), kobako-gani (female snow crab), and ama-ebi (sweet shrimp).
The snow crab season opens each year on November 7th and continues to the end of March. Commonly dubbed as the ‘king of winter flavours’, zuwai-gani is truly one of the most exquisite culinary delights one can experience in Japan. The female snow crab, kobako-gani is smaller than the male and more affordable. As it contains a lot of eggs, the locals get the best of its flavours by cooking it either in a hot pot or miso soup. Harvested in autumn and winter, ama-ebi is truly as sweet as a commonly-known sweet shrimp should be. Noted for its graceful pink shade, ama-ebi's delicate taste is better appreciated raw within a sashimi or sushi assortment.
