Koebi Sakura Ebi Cherry Shrimp Dried

Japan (Suruga Bay off Yui coast Shizuoka Prefecture; the only commercial harvesting location worldwide; fishing community heritage)

Sakura ebi (桜海老, cherry shrimp) are tiny, translucent pink shrimp (Sergestidae, Sergia lucens) harvested exclusively in Suruga Bay off Shizuoka Prefecture — the only commercial harvesting location in the world. The shrimp are named for their delicate pink colour resembling cherry blossom petals. The harvesting season is spring (mid-March to June) and autumn (October to December), with two daily hauls. Fresh sakura ebi are eaten as a seasonal delicacy in and around Yui port (between Shizuoka and Fuji) in kakiage (mixed tempura), salads, and directly on rice. Dried sakura ebi (himono ebi) are available year-round and are widely used throughout Japan as a flavourful topping for okonomiyaki, yakisoba, takoyaki, and rice dishes. They provide an intense, sweet-savoury marine flavour from concentrated umami compounds developed during drying. The shrimp's exoskeleton is thin enough to eat whole, making them an excellent source of calcium and chitin. The best fresh sakura ebi are served as kakiage at fishing port restaurants immediately after the morning catch — a Japanese culinary experience that has no equal outside the Shizuoka coast.

Intensely sweet, marine, delicate pink shrimp character; fresh version is ethereally delicate; dried version is concentrated, savoury, and powerfully flavoured