New Way of Eating Fish - Simply Microwave It  (No. 117 )

http://kihoku-jb.jp

Japan Brand Mie Kihoku New Concept Food
Simple cooking by microwaving - a new “eating” style of fish

The concept of “Just Microwave” series is a new “eating” style of fish by simply microwaving it. It offers a line of frozen “fish dishes” for “super-simple microwave cooking,” eliminating the bother of grilling or stewing fish at home.

Mainly targeting East Asian (Macao, Hong Kong and China mainland), as well as North American markets, “Just Microwave” seeks to expand its sales in the business market, including Japanese food distributors and Japanese restaurant chefs, as well as in the retail sector including exclusive supermarkets, Japanese capital supermarkets and department stores.

In order to activate and promote the local industry of Kihoku Town in Mie Prefecture, we propose a single serving “Tabekiri One Package Food,” a new form of meal that is easy-to-eat causing hardly any leftovers, and is environmentally friendly.

The product is characterized by the following four points: 1. Patent submitted for a “new production method,” 2. Multi-functional product that can be casually microwaved for serving, 3. Environment-oriented product for individuals that minimizes leftovers, and 4. “Local resource-utilizing foodstuff” pursued by various consumers both within and outside Japan.

Future plans include the handling of the product at Japan-connected supermarkets in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, and the development of microwaveable “new pre-cooked dishes.”

Acknowledging its activities in Japan and the world under the Japan Brand support project, as well as its superiority under the Local Resource Utilization Promotion Law, Japan Brand: The Tabekiri (One Serving) was offered to the Ise Shrine in Sepember, 2008, as the first “himono (dried fish).”

Utilized local resource: Local specialties
Kihoku city has one of the largest fishery grounds in Mie Prefecture. Marine product processing skills have been developed since the olden times as its rich marine produce was the only source of livelihood for the local people that dwelled in villages. The local fishermen have retained techniques in preserving the freshness of their catch, in addition to various other skills. Already during late Edo era, Kihoku was recorded as one of the regions producing the best dried bonitos in Japan. Still today, numerous marine produce-processing plants of various sizes dot the landscape.