Naruto city, located in the northern part of Tokushima prefecture, is the foremost fishermen’s town within the Setouchi area. A town that offers a myriad of delicious seafood, one of its most well known marine products is Naruto wakame seaweed, which is grown in the violent currents of the Naruto Strait. With its enormous whirlpools, the seaweed is a true gem.
As I wanted to try some freshly harvested Naruto wakame, I went to Renaissance Resort Naruto to participate in one of their ‘harvesting tours’ held in February and March.

Renaissance Resort Naruto is a resort hotel that faces the Naruto Strait, but the wakame harvesting tour is also open to people not staying at the hotel.

We board the fishing boat, and head out to the wakame cultivation rafts where the seaweed has been planted!
After around 10 minutes, we reach the rafts…

… and harvest finely grown wakame at a steady pace.

What a great catch!
Our aim was just eating, but it’s quite fun!
After harvesting to our hearts’ fill, we return to the hotel where further fun awaits! It’s time to try our freshly harvested wakame!
First off is this:

It’s the part near the stalk.

After parboiling, it turns the color of wakame as we know it.

We dip it in ponzu (sauce made with citrus juice and soy sauce) and take a bite!
The texture is incredible!
This must be a luxury that you can only taste with freshly harvested seaweed.

And then we eat the leaf part as wakame shabu-shabu – another piece of culinary luxury!

The moment you put the wakame in the hot water it turns green. We enjoy this one with ponzu, too. Making it completely different to that sold in supermarkets, the texture has some body!
Ohhh… I just can’t get enough! I could keep on eating this forever…

Some of the harvested seaweed is rubbed with salt to make ‘salt cured wakame’ to take home. (By curing it, wakame can be preserved long periods of time.)
Wakame seaweed harvesting experience tours are held from February through March. As it will surely be fun and delicious, do have a try!

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Naruto Wakame Harvest Tours:

Venue: Renaissance Resort Naruto (16-45 Oge, Tosadomariura, Naruto-cho, Naruto city, Tokushima prefecture.
Dates: Feb 1- March 31 (Canceled in case of bad weather)
Capacity: 2-8 persons
Tel: 088-687-2580
Fees: Adults JPY2160, Elementary school students and younger JPY1080 (Includes around 800 grams of cured wakame)
Parking: Available

*Reservation required by 17:30 on the previous day.
http://www.renaissance-naruto.com/ (Japanese)

http://renaissance-naruto.com/english/english.html (Basic information in English)
Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Daisuke Chiba

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Gourmet Gourmet Tokushima Naruto City

Written by

Daisuke Chiba

Daisuke Chiba / Photo-writer I was born in 1985 in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture, and now live in Tokushima City. After graduating university, I worked at a publishing company as an editor for various mooks, and in April 2014 I went freelance. I work as a photographer, copy-writer and editor, but also do product development and other stuff as well. If anyone needs me, I can do anything! Except, in spite of my being from Tokushima, dancing - I’m really bad at dancing Awa Odori!

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