This time we would like to introduce you to white shrimp, known as the "jewel of Toyama Bay." Toyama Bay has few shallow areas and has a topography called "aigame" where the water suddenly becomes deep near the shore. The only place where white shrimp fishing is viable is Toyama Bay, which has "aigame".

The white shrimp, which are caught immediately after landing, are now known as the "jewel of Toyama Bay" because of their transparent pale pink color. White shrimp is probably best known for being eaten as sashimi, but because white shrimp are small, in the past it was difficult to remove the shell, and so they were only used locally as a soup stock. The reason it has become as popular as it is today is that freezing it once makes it easier to peel the shell, and people have discovered how delicious the peeled meat is.

Depending on the year's catch, white shrimp sashimi is very expensive compared to unpeeled shrimp, as the shells are mostly removed by hand. At Toyosu Market, they are traded at about 15,000 yen per kg. However, the beautiful white appearance and the creamy, slightly sweet taste of white shrimp sashimi make it worth trying at least once.

In addition to being eaten as sashimi, white shrimp is also used to make tempura, kakiage, and snacks such as rice crackers.

White shrimp are caught from April to November. During the season, our company ships peeled white shrimp mainly to Thailand, but in 2024, there has been one of the rarest white shrimp catches in recent years, and it seems that there is almost no landing. An investigation has begun into whether the cause may be a change in the undersea topography due to an earthquake that occurred in January.

Once fishing season recovers, be sure to try white shrimp, a seafood delicacy representative of Toyama.

 

【Contact us】
Itabashi Trading Co., Ltd
Food Department　
Mr.TAKAYAMA (Japanese, English, German)
TEL :+81-3-3248-1016（Workday 10:00～17:00）　
FAX :+81-3-3248-1008
Email: shokuhin@itabashi-trading.com