A chef who grew up on the Shiretoko Peninsula talks about Abashiri's food culture - Enjoy the bounty of the mountains and sea brought by drift ice - (Abashiri, Hokkaido)

・Teaching how to choose delicious fish from the Okhotsk Sea Okhotsk Sea is a region where not only fish but also vegetables are delicious. The cold winter caused by drift ice and the nutrients it brings make the fish and vegetables of the Okhotsk Sea delicious. Atka mackerel, a fish unique to Hokkaido, loses its freshness quickly, so it is often eaten as dried fish. The taste of Atka mackerel does not improve if it is dried immediately after catching it, so it is best left to sit overnight or frozen once before drying. When choosing dried Atka mackerel, choose one with white edges. This will make it fatty and delicious.
・We will demonstrate how to fillet fish using seasonal fish. By mastering the different filleting techniques that vary depending on the type of fish, you will be able to fillet any fish while maintaining its freshness.
・Shellfish peeling experience With the guidance of a chef, you will actually experience how to peel scallops and surf clams. Scallops are eaten by eating the adductor muscle, but when ordinary people do it, it takes time and in most cases the peeling method reduces the freshness. A professional chef can peel one scallop in about five seconds.
・Enjoy dishes made with local Abashiri ingredients "Oh! Den" run by owner Ishiguro is one of Abashiri's famous restaurants that requires a reservation. He purchases fresh fish for the number of people making reservations that day, and always serves dishes using seasonal fish from the Okhotsk Sea. He is so thorough in his selection of ingredients that he sometimes goes on fishing boats himself to get to know the fish better, and even rents farm land to grow his own vegetables for the restaurant. After the experience, you will be treated to a lunch of Okhotsk seafood dishes prepared with great care by the owner.