The Only Hamachi, You’ll Ever Want to Eat

Cho-Rei-Kun-Hamachi-Main-1

“Fresher than Fresh”, Always Quality Premium Grade Japan-Harvest Hamachi (Image: Onsui Co., Ltd.)

NOT ALL HAMACHI ARE CREATED EQUAL. Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi is naturally grown, and freeze-processed through a revolutionary system that enables the fish to maintain its “just caught” freshness until they’re defrosted for use.  Compare that to the majority of fresh-flown Hamachi from Japan to the West Coast, taking an average 36 hours to arrive at a restaurant in Los Angeles.  They will take even longer to inland destinations.

Let’s Examine the CHO-REI-KUN HAMACHI Superiority:

HIGH FAT CONTENT: Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi are harvested only during peak season, ensuring a >30% lipid content.  Regularly marketed Hamachi has lipid content of 17-18%.

LOW LACTIC ACID: Harvesting is a stressful event, causing a high level of lactic acid builds up in the Hamachi flesh. Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi is held in super-oxygenated tanks for 16 hours before harvest, to relax the fish, thus reducing lactic acid levels.

Produced by Onsui, Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi are held in super oxygenated tanks for 16 hours before harvesting in order to both relax and to reduce lactic acid levels in the fish.

Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi are held in super-oxygenated tanks for 16 hours before harvesting in order to both relax and to reduce lactic acid levels in the fish.

99% BLEEDING: Special patented technology achieves a 99% bleeding rate, rendering its fresh, white-colored flesh.

SUPER FROZEN PRIOR TO RIGOR MORTIS: To seal in freshness, Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi are quickly flash frozen even before rigor mortis sets in and held at -58F degrees (-50C). Regular frozen Hamachi is stored at -0.4F degrees (-18C). Less drip, more flavor.

FOOD SAFETY & TRACEABILITY: Ozone sterilization keeps the bacterial count at 0.3% below Japan’s health standard requirements. That together with complete traceability ensures the safety of the product.

10X QUICKER PROCESSING: Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi is processed 10 times faster than regular frozen Hamachi.


Q & A

1) Why is Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi flesh so white?

Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi flesh is “whitish” due to its extremely high-fat content, and also due to the thorough bleeding process. Here in America, Hamachi flesh is known to be pink. That appearance is actually caused by the residual blood trapped in the capillaries. Moreover, the pink color becomes even more pronounced when treated with Carbon Monoxide (CO). However in Japan, it’s not strange to hear chefs referring to yellowtail as being a “Shiromi”, white-fish. Another benefit of thorough bleeding is to keep the fish fresh. Excess blood is normally associated with fishy taste, therefore, it’s a sensible step to remove blood as much as possible.

Bleeding-Comparison

2) How fresh is super frozen Cho-Rei-Kun Hamachi?

Onsui, through their development of Cho-Rei Kun Hamachi, has researched extensively on how to deliver the freshest Hamachi for the enjoyment of those far distances away. Due to their quick-flash freezing and super frozen storage at -58F degrees, many chefs have experienced Onsui’s half-thawed Saku-Dori or Sashimi pieces start rigor-mortis as if they’re taking over from the state right before quick-flash freezing, literally “frozen in time”. In the US, this phenomenon can only be seen with Onsui products.

The Japanese use a “K-Value” system to measure the freshness of fish. The K-Value of Onsui products immediately upon thawing is 3 to 6%, which is the same K-Value of a fish immediately after rigor-mortis. After understanding the true “freshness” benefits of Cho-Rei-Run Hamachi over fresh-flown-in Hamachi, chefs can experiment with defrosting methods to arrive at the ideal texture and Umami levels to delight their customers.

By Japanese standards, a never-frozen, fresh fish defines “freshness”. Unfortunately, the majority of fresh yellowtail air-couriered from Japan to America will already have had 36 to 48 hours pass in between its actual Ikijime slaughter until its delivery to a restaurant. If a Hamachi is to go through CO gas treatment, it will have been slaughtered on deck at sea, then transported to a facility on land. The CO gassing itself takes 12 to 24 hours, plus another 8 hours to freeze to its fully frozen temperature of -0.4F degrees.

3) It seems to be very labor intensive. How about the price?

The processing of Onsui fish is an extremely time-consuming task, as upon the arrival of live fish at the plant, they’re held in tanks for 16 hours before being individually processed. This, together with strict selection process to provide a stable supply of unparalleled, high-quality products increases cost. It’s difficult to put a price tag on just the fish itself, when the quality upsides deliver enormous value. The color is white to the tip of the tail due to effective blood removal, allowing more yield to be used for Sashimi and Sushi. Darker meat does not taste fishy nor of blood, therefore, there’s yet another benefit when factoring in potential savings from higher yield. Moreover, by providing delicious Hamachi, high in fat (fat = taste), superbly fresh and not fishy nor sour, a restaurant business can establish a name for itself as THE ONE with “the freshest Hamachi”, and let the word of mouth bring in new and repeat businesses.


"Fresher than Fresh",
Always Quality Premium Grade Japan-Harvest Hamachi

SUPER FROZEN REIKUN HAMACHI FILLET | Item Number: 70965 | Package: About 5.5lbs | Origin: Ehime, Japan

SUPER FROZEN REIKUN HAMACHI FILLET | Item Number: 70965 | Package: About 5.5lbs | Origin: Ehime, Japan

SUPER FROZEN REIKUN HAMACHI LOIN | Item Number: 74027 | Package: About 11lbs (8pcs) | Origin: Ehime, Japan

SUPER FROZEN REIKUN HAMACHI LOIN | Item Number: 74027 | Package: About 11lbs (8pcs) | Origin: Ehime, Japan

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