Sauries Set Out to Dry in Miyagi Pref. Town

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:15 JST, March 2, 2023

A worker hangs sauries out to dry in the town of Onagawa in Miyagi Prefecture, which is known for landing large volumes of saury. About 12,000 of the fish have been hung on wooden racks at Yamahon Bayfoods, a seafood processing company. Exposing the fish to the cold air is said to reduce moisture and minimize odor while boosting the umami flavor. Production at the company has yet to return to levels seen prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, which damaged the firm’s facilities. “We’d like to continue supplying customers with goods produced via traditional processing methods,” company president Takeharu Yamamoto said. The saury-drying will continue until late March.