Among the "hoya" that Miyagi Prefecture boasts the largest production in Japan, efforts have begun to certify those with thorough freshness management as regional brands.

The new brand "Hoya no Kiwami" announced on the 31st is named after Miyagi Prefecture's Hoya, which thoroughly manages freshness from production to processing and distribution to stores.



Specifically, it is stored refrigerated at 10 degrees or less without inhaling fresh water, and ascidians with shells within 2 days of landing are certified by a council made by a processor.



The selected sea squirt has less odor, and when you put it in your mouth, the sweetness and umami spread.



Miyagi Prefecture boasts the highest production volume of "hoya" in Japan, but sales are declining due to the effects of the nuclear accident, etc., and the council says that it aims to expand sales channels and increase consumption by making use of the new brand. is.



The council has certified the sea squirts produced in Ishinomaki City as the first of the "extreme of sea squirts", and it will be offered at restaurants in the prefecture and will be shipped to supermarkets in Tokyo.



In the future, in addition to creating certification standards for stripped sea squirts, we are aiming to register for the "Geographical Indication Protection System" recognized by the national government as a regional brand.



Ryuta Watanabe, a fisherman from Ishinomaki City who has been certified as a producer of sea squirts, said, "I think that the standards for freshness have become clearer and easier for consumers to understand. I definitely want you to try it. "