Shimonoseki Fuku

　Shimonoseki Fuku are fresh tiger puffer caught in fishing grounds near Japan or raised in fish farms in various places throughout the country. They are then transferred to fish tanks for a certain period of time to firm up the flesh. After detoxification, it is processed to preserve freshness.

　Shimonoseki Fuku producers buy tiger puffer that arrive alive at the Haedomari Regional Wholesale Market in Shimonoseki City. There they are kept for about 1 to 4 days in fish tanks near the same market. This is to remove stress from the transfer, expel food and waste products remaining in the fish, and to abstain them from food to firm them up.

　Then, only the tiger puffer in good condition are selected, and transferred while alive to the processing site of Shimonoseki Fuku producers in the area. Here a detoxification treatment is performed by a licensed puffer processor. In order to remove the toxic parts of the puffer including: the ovary, liver, kidney, heart, gall bladder, stomach, intestine, spleen and gills, they are cleaned with a kitchen knife and rinsed by visual inspection. However, a license is required to guarantee that the processor has the necessary degree of skill. In addition, during the filleting process, temperature control for keeping freshness is very important. The temperature inside the processing room is usually kept at 20°C or below, but other methods are also employed, such as washing the puffer immediately with ice-cold water after cleaning.

　Shimonoseki was the place where puffer food culture has developed since ancient times. It has been a production center of natural tiger puffer due to the fact that its spawning grounds are located in nearby waters, and it also has the Shimonoseki Straits connecting the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of ​​Japan where they migrate. Later, in the 1970s, farmed tiger blowfish appeared, and the Haedomari Market was equipped with many live fish tanks and a fish processing complex was established in the vicinity. This laid the foundation for Shimonoseki to become a collection point, and it is now a key distribution point with nationwide pickups.

　Puffer arrived at the Haedomari market from all over the country are broken down into smaller sizes by fishermen (fishing boats) and fish farmers. This form of trading, in which expertise is required to visually evaluate the quality of the puffer, was developed by Shimonoseki Fuku producers over many years. Puffer brought in by fishermen/fish farmers who are highly praised by customers, and of just the right size, are judged by experience and traded at high prices. This bidding style has been continued to this day.