Hokkaido’s Hokkai shrimp is known as the “rubies of the sea”, thanks in part to the vivid red color they assume when boiled. The shrimping season on the Notsuke Peninsula, located on the east coast of the mainland, is only two or three weeks long each summer and likewise during the second season in autumn. Traditional utasebune (net-fishing boats) are used to catch the shrimp – these vessels sailing across the Pacific is a distinctly Notsuke seascape image. The shrimp are then prepared simply, boiled using the only salt to preserve the natural flavor contained within the flesh. Salt-boiled Hokkai shrimp has a sweet and rich flavor and a springy texture, and though it is transported all over Japan, there’s nowhere better to try it than on the east coast of Hokkaido. Odorigui (live sashimi) is also available during the fishing season and is another local delicacy of the Notsuke Peninsula.
