Buying Ikejime-Caught Fish Just Got Easier at Fearless Fish Market
Fishmonger Stu Meltzer explains what makes ikejime superior to conventional harvesting methods, and six other fish-buying facts to consider.
August 4, 2024
Stu Meltzer is serious about fish. The bearded fishmonger talks about it in a way a proud father talks about his children. He opens the door of an outdoor cooler that is located directly in back of Fearless Fish Market, and begins to explain how totes of fish are stacked with ice and labeled by species and the name of the fisherman who caught them. “Everything is labeled by harvest date and the size,” he says. “When we ship it out, we know which fish were harvested on which day.”
He points to a nearly pure white fluke resting on ice and explains how this radiant fish was bled out as part of the Japanese ikejime method of harvesting fish.
Meltzer owns the five-year-old Fearless Fish Market on the East Side of Providence and has recently started promoting the sale of fish caught using the ikejime method. “Ikejime translates to ‘alive kill’ in Japanese,” Meltzer says. “The fish comes on the boat alive by rod and reel, and the fisherman drives a spike into its brain to kill it immediately.” After the fish is brain-spiked, its membrane below the gills is cut and the fish is placed in a recirculating well of sea water to help flush out the blood, then stored in an ice slurry to bring the fish’s temperature down to below forty degrees as quickly as possible.
Ikejime is an ancient method of fishing that’s been practiced for hundreds of years, yet fish caught in this way were previously not readily available in this area. Rod and reel fishing is the norm, as well as larger volume commercial fishing methods, such as pot fishing, gill netting and draggers, but in most cases, fish are left to suffocate to death. Ikejime-caught fish has a longer shelf life, because it prevents bacteria and stress from compromising the fish. As a result, it tastes better because fish’s natural enzymes are allowed to break down the fish, enhancing the fish’s natural umami flavor. This process also shortens the duration and intensity of rigor mortis, which helps preserve the texture of the fish, and the appearance is improved without blood that can potentially discolor the flesh.
“When you brain spike a fish and kill it right away, you are inhibiting that fish from experiencing stress. Stress has negative consequences on fish quality, or really anybody,” Meltzer says. “Stress leads to the fish releasing lactic acid into its flesh which will acidify the flesh, which can lead to gaping or breaking of the fish, and it will release stress hormones that can metabolize and accelerate decomposition. It can also change the color and texture.”
In order to sell fish caught using the ikejime method, Meltzer had to create a sourcing system in Rhode Island. He teamed up with a customer who is a Japanese native and a professor at the University of Rhode Island, Hiro Uchida. Uchida and Meltzer discussed ikejime, and subsequently, Uchida earned the prestigious Saltonstall Kennedy Grant through NOAA to study developing a market for ikejime fish in Rhode Island and beyond. As part of the project, Meltzer and several local fishermen were certified to train the ikejime practice through the Ikejime Federation.
The refrigerated cases at Fearless Fish now have stickers on the glass to spotlight all of the different fish species they sell that were harvested using the ikejime method. Meltzer says this fish can last longer in your refrigerator and its flavor can even improve with time. “Instead of bacteria taking over and breaking down the fish, the natural enzymes of the fish are allowed to take over,” he says, “so it will actually enhance the umami flavor of the fish over a few days.” While it is still best to consume the fish within three days of purchase, ikejime-harvested, fileted fish can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator, and even longer if it is whole fish.
While promoting ikejime has always been one of his goals, Meltzer also hopes to dispel many myths that he thinks harm the fishing industry and prevent people from eating more fish. Here are some of Meltzer’s perceptions that might help you the next time you shop for fish.
The word “fresh” isn’t as important to fish as how it was handled.
If a fish isn’t harvested with care, it won’t matter if you’re eating a fish that was caught that same day or not. “Conventional catch methods and handling involve three components that accelerate decomposition. First, the fish typically suffocates to death. This is extremely stressful on the fish, which leads to the fish secreting lactic acid into its flesh along with stress hormones that contribute to decomposition,” Meltzer says. “Next, the fish is not bled. That blood contains considerable bacteria that is left in the fish. Last, that fish is often not iced well, which allows the bacteria in the fish to flourish.” That’s why he prefers fish caught using the ikejime method. “A fish is killed immediately upon catch with a brain spike so that the fish cannot experience stress. Then the fish is cut at the gills and allowed to bleed out. Last, the fish is placed in an ice slurry to fully immerse the fish in cold temperatures to bring down the fish’s core temperature as quickly as possible. The result is significantly longer shelf life, better texture, better taste and better appearance.” But it’s not all or nothing. There is a range of quality handling methods, and if at least some of these practices are followed, it significantly improves the quality of the fish.
2. Farmed fishing gets a bad rap, but it can be beneficial if sourced from the right farms.
Meltzer promotes “responsible aquaculture,” which includes farmed oysters as well as farmed salmon. It is not farmed salmon that is bad; it’s where the farm is located. “There is a lot of information out there about farmed salmon and how it’s ruining the world. It’s just not the case,” Meltzer says. “There are good farms, and not so good farms, just like with beef and chicken.” The farmed salmon Fearless Fish carries comes out of New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy and is responsibly farmed. The area where this salmon is farmed has the greatest tidal exchange in the world, so waste is swept away back out into the ocean and diluted into the sea. It’s an effective way of producing more healthy fish in an affordable way. “Farmed salmon is healthy and relatively affordable and it tastes good, and we shouldn’t discourage people from eating that,” Meltzer says.
3. “Abundant” is a better descriptor than “underutilized.”
“Underutilized is a word I never use,” Meltzer says. “We’re also hearing ‘underloved,’ ‘underappreciated,’ same difference, I avoid using those words. Basically you are saying this is something nobody wants and that’s why you should want it.” Some of these species have included scup, fluke, skate wing, dogfish, sea robin and others, most of which are available at Fearless Fish. The market sells hake instead of cod or haddock, and its white, flaky texture is similar to the more mainstream species, but it’s more abundant and affordable in this area. Meltzer prefers to use the word “abundant” when referring to these species. “People want something special,” Meltzer says. “These fish are special and that’s how we talk about them. Sometimes, I will mention as a big added bonus, that these fish are abundant, so a good environmental choice.”
4. Frozen is fantastic.
Just because a fish is frozen doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, freezing is necessary with sushi grade fish. Fearless Fish’s superfreezer helps get fish down to 110 below zero to help kill any parasites that might be present in the fish. Freezing fish also increases its shelf life and makes it more accessible. “If fish is frozen quickly and to very low temperatures, the cell structure remains intact (preserving texture) and the fish quality can be preserved from the time it is frozen,” Meltzer says. “This is huge for helping people eat more fish. Folks can keep it in their freezer and use it when convenient without running out.” Fearless Fish also freezes fish from the refrigerated case that doesn’t sell right away, preserving it and marking prices down, to avoid waste.
5. Sustainability isn’t an issue with United States-caught fish, as well as some species from Canada and Iceland.
If you are purchasing USA-caught fish, then you can be confident that fish is sustainable. “If a fish is allowed to be harvested in the US, that means that stock is being managed to ensure the long term sustainability of that fish stock,” Meltzer says. “When it comes to imports, it’s a different story. The US domestic fishery management and enforcement program is the most rigorous program in the world. Every single pound of fish is recorded no matter what the species is.” Things have certainly improved in more recent years. More than fifty fisheries in the United States have been brought back to health since 2000, due to the Magnuson Stevens Act of 1976, enacted to ensure the sustainability of our fish stocks. “There are a few other countries that do a nice job, including Canada, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, and others. We don’t bring in fish from Central America and South America, and certainly not from China, because we are not confident in their fisheries management practices.”
6. Buying direct from fishermen isn’t a must.
Markets and restaurants shouldn’t feel obligated to only buy directly from fishermen. Oftentimes the expression, “skip the middleman,” assumes more money goes straight to the fishermen, but that’s not always the case. It’s certainly more challenging for all parties to exercise. “Given the volume and geographic challenges that a distributor/wholesaler has buying direct, it becomes clear that this is even more difficult for a restaurant or market to do,” Meltzer says. Some places have the ability to do this, but it’s rare. “The existing supply chain provides value and is how nearly all seafood is distributed in the United States. When you cut out a link, that value (and associated expense) has to come from somewhere,” Meltzer says. Dealers and distributors can help facilitate access to quantity and quality of a variety of fish, plus aid in processing, in an efficient and cost-effective way. In the future, Meltzer hopes to expand the wholesale distribution side of his business to make ikejime-harvested fish more accessible to restaurants across the United States.
“For wholesale, we’re currently selling to distributors in Chicago, New York City, Austin, Texas, Boston. This is for fresh fish, the whole, unadulterated version. Scales on, guts in; we pack them up in ten-kilo boxes, wrapped up nicely with the harvest date on it, we put invoices with it and the fisherman’s name,” Meltzer says. “We’re elevating the Rhode Island seafood brand.”
721 Hope St., Providence, 401-537-7979, fearlessfishmarket.com
