Tokyo, Oct. 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese food manufacturers are coming up with plant-based alternatives for various seafood products such as octopus, bonito flakes and “mentaiko” spicy cod roe. The products may help widen food options because their supplies are not impacted by poor fish catches. Kanetetsu Delica Foods Inc. in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, which manufactures “nerimono” fish cakes, released “Hobo Tako” (Almost Octopus) in August. The plant-based product, which does not contain octopus, is made by steaming a mixture of fibers, starch and other ingredients. “The product has a springy and snappy texture similar to that of real octopus meat,” a company official said. Hyogo is famous for its Akashi brand octopus. Catches of such octopus have dwindled over the past few years, however, sending its prices rocketing. Major advantages of Kanetetsu’s octopus alternative are that it can be manufactured stably and that it is perfect for “takoyaki” octopus balls, an iconic dish in the Kansai western Japan region, including Hyogo, according to the company. Ikeda Tohka Industries Co., a food ingredient manufacturer in the western prefecture of Hiroshima, developed a plant-based alternative for dried bonito. Soy protein and other ingredients are pressed into shape, then to be turned into flakes using a machine. The company also used plant-based extracts to replicate the actual dried bonito’s distinct flavor. An Ikeda Tohka official said that the company made the texture of the product light and airy so that it “dances” on top of a steaming “okonomiyaki,” a local specialty of Hiroshima, just like when bonito flakes are sprinkled onto the savory pancake. The product is used in pastas with Japanese flavors at hotels and restaurants, and as a topping for creative and vegan dishes. Yamaya Communications Inc., which makes mentaiko, a delicacy of the southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, will start offering “Daitai Mentaiko” (Alternative/Roughly Mentaiko), early next year. For the new product, which features the pop-in-the-mouth texture that the real mentaiko has, the company soaks a newly developed starch into a special marinade containing chili, yuzu citrus and other ingredients, in order to create small egg-like shapes similar to pollack roe, the main ingredient of mentaiko. Yamaya said that fish egg extracts are contained in the seasoning liquid because it is used to marinate pollack roe for mentaiko before being reused for the alternative product. As Daitai Mentaiko contains only half the amount of salt as that of mentaiko, it may be used in hospital meals. “We’re also considering selling the product to general consumers, including those who have opted not to eat (mentaiko) due to concern about salt levels,” a Yamaya official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
