Dining with the Chef

Cook Around Japan: Seasonal Seafood Dishes from Sagami Bay

In this two-week special episode, chef Saito and host Yu Hayami step out of the studio and visit the Kamakura and Shonan regions of Kanagawa, introducing the wonders of the local ingredients. On the second episode, the duo heads to Shonan to enjoy the summer flavors native to Sagami Bay. The complex underwater terrain and the kuroshio current makes the bay a prime fishing ground, which is a home to about 1300 species of fish of which 300 varieties are caught for caught. Shirasu small sardines caught in Sagami is particularly famous across Japan, and eating these raw is a Shonan specialty. Freshly boiled shirasu has also been loved by all around the Kanto region. The chef and Yu visit the Shonan morning market and shirasu fishers, getting their hands on some fresh seasonal ingredients. We’ll be making a rice bowl using plenty of boiled shirasu, and a fried mackerel and plum roll made with fragrant plum and nori seaweed.