Indian Tuna Lovers' Club Tuna Flakes

Autumn daytime drinking is heavenly!

A feast of delicacies and sake at the home of my colleague Chinami Kobayashi, who joined the company the same year as me, toasting past noon. Sashimi of Kanpachi, konbu-cured sea bream, mozzarella and pickled mustard greens salad, red turnip salad, egg roll with sansho peppercorns, and ethnic-style simmered chicken wings. We gulped down Yamaguchi's "Yamazaru," Mie's "Saku," and Wakayama's "Kurogyu" sake, munching away. Finished with autumn-flavored rice cooked with Pacific saury, delicious right down to the crispy rice at the bottom. Thank you for the feast!

Sanma Rice

Now, continuing from last time, it's "Frozen Tuna from Yaizu." Wholesaler Maruiri decided to develop products to deliver delicious tuna directly to customers. But the more interviews they conducted, the more two problems blocked their path. One was that frozen tuna just doesn't sound very appetizing. The other was that lately, whether it's from Kindai or Oma, the only tuna getting attention is bluefin tuna. Honestly, it felt like developing this new product was going to be really tough.

Yet within this often gloomy team, Shimizu Takuya, Maruiri's development manager, remained consistently positive. One day, after exhausting every possible tuna topic and heading to the izakaya "Yurine" for a change of pace, he and his subordinate Mori-san were cheerfully discussing: "Southern bluefin tuna really has a sweeter flavor than bluefin tuna, so I prefer the lean meat," and "Look at this brilliant color! It's like a jewel, right?"

Watching him, I gradually began to find Mr. Shimizu's "obsession" rather charming. "It doesn't matter if most people prefer bluefin tuna. Wild southern bluefin tuna is a rare commodity, making up only a few percent of the total market. Let's ignore those who look down on frozen tuna. We don't need to win over the whole world. It's enough to enjoy it with just those who understand the appeal of southern bluefin tuna. Nerds? Fanatics? Oddballs? Whatever people think is fine. If we can enjoy our beloved Indian bluefin tuna ourselves, isn't that happiness enough?"

With that feeling, before product development, I proposed forming the "Indian Tuna Enthusiasts Club." I could envision, beyond the daily lives of Mr. Shimizu and Mr. Mori, a steady, if small, increase in our circle of friends.

But simply gathering enthusiasts to form a "club" wouldn't make for a viable business. So, we revisited our study of "frozen tuna." We learned, for instance, that thawing requires a specific technique. The process involves briefly rinsing the surface, then soaking it in salted warm water until about half thawed, followed by slowly restoring its condition in the refrigerator. But unlike beef, which deepens in flavor with aging over ten days, tuna is a delicate ingredient whose condition changes hourly. Apparently, the optimal eating window is just two hours after completing this thawing process. And once thawed, refreezing is absolutely out of the question... Honestly, it was a pain in the neck.

On the other hand, tuna caught in the cold Indian Ocean and flash-frozen immediately onboard ships arrives directly in your home. In terms of freshness, it's overwhelmingly superior (even compared to local seafood). I experimented, trying to figure out how to make the most of that characteristic.

Indian Tuna Enthusiasts' Package

 

Tuna Flakes

The result was "Tuna Flakes." This product involves flaking frozen tuna without ever thawing it. Only when placed on warm rice does the tuna's true flavor awaken. In fact, because it's so incredibly fresh, the flesh is still firm immediately after thawing. But when you add condiments and soy sauce and wait just a little while, you can easily savor the unique sweetness characteristic of Indian bluefin tuna. The details of the product, such as the flake size, were refined repeatedly by Mr. Shimizu in Yaizu. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Art Director Yuki Nakao and Planner Masahiro Okumura developed the packaging. Imagine the surprise if such a massive block of tuna arrived as a year-end gift! We take pride in believing we've created a design worthy of a club dedicated to the passionate love of Indian bluefin tuna.

Thanks to everyone's support, it won the Excellence Award in the 2015 "Is This Even a Thing?" Awards shortly after launch. We sincerely hope it will be loved by even more people from now on.

President Teraoka (center) and Department Manager Shimizu (right) presenting

 

From left: AD Nakao and Planner Okumura

 

Please, help yourself!