#ike jime

[sashiko-blues-blog]

Textbook Perfect Unagi, via RyuGin Cooking

Ike-jime included

[browseallday]

04 July 2013

There is a Japanese technique for killing fish known as Ike Jime. It involves severing the spinal cord and blood vessels just below the head and at the tail, inserting a long needle through the spinal cord for a short period of time, then allowing the fish to bleed out in iced water. Studies suggest the efficacy of inserting a needle through the spinal cord on the texture of the flesh of the fish has to do with stopping premature ATP depletion (which delays and softens the effect of rigor mortis, and hence improves the quality of the fish).