The One Japanese Food You Can’t Eat Raw!!

Right now I'm on an oyster boat, sitting on top of literally thousands of oysters. Oysters that you will only find here in Hiroshima, Japan. Today, I'm on a mission to understand what makes Japanese oysters some of the best in the world. What kind of oyster is this? From the farm... Check out this genius engineering! I expect nothing less from the Japanese! ...to the finished product. That's the most lethal cooking I've ever done on this show. And I shot a zebra with a gun! And by the end of this video, you'll see how Japan's top chefs turn this slimy seafood into something magical. This might be a dish that few people, even in Japan, recognize. Could you tell me about what we're about to try here? Welcome to Hiroshima, Japan's oyster capital. In fact, two-thirds of Japan's oysters come from here, Hiroshima Bay. This region is famous for its mild climate, nutrient-rich seas, and centuries-old oyster farming traditions. Right now we've just arrived at an oyster farm, where we'll see firsthand how these shellfish are raised. Let's move! I have seen oyster farms in a couple different countries at this point. The first one I ever went to was in Vietnam. There they had these big wooden lattices with strings hanging down holding the oysters. Then I went to Virginia. There they had huge plastic containers of oysters in the water. Here, they have tons of these floating platforms holding oysters underneath. We are approaching the boat now. The sun has just come up, but these oyster farmers have been working already four hours. We've got like a pile of oysters right here. Unlike anything I've seen before, this boat here is designed specifically for this very purpose. Extracting thousands and thousands of oysters from the sea. Wow, this thing is massive. It's so huge! The move. It seems each rope has kind of a clamp at the bottom. They cut that off, and then all the remaining oysters plummet down onto the ship. A boat like this hauls in 30,000 to 50,000 oysters per day, feeding into Hiroshima's massive 30,000 ton yearly export. When they come off the rope, they look fairly unrefined. It's full of goo, plant matter. It looks a bit beat up. What kind of oyster is this? Shimada is my guide for the day. It's called a magaki oyster. And Kaya is here again to bridge the gap between us. It's a specific type of oyster, which grows in the cold winter months. Also known as the Pacific oyster, this little overachiever was later introduced to some regions in the world for its superior quality. How the life cycle of the oyster works. It starts in around July to August is where the cultivation begins. And on this scallop shell, you'll put baby oysters on them. The oysters are attached to a scallop shell. Yes, but then they grow their own shells. Yeah, of course. One female can crank out up to 200 million eggs in a single go. And in just two years, they're fully grown and ready to harvest. Soon, I'll be sinking my teeth into some of the finest oysters you'll find anywhere. Prepared in ways you can only find in Japan. Also, there's a real chance one of these might kill me. This could be my last oyster. I hope it's a good one. Cheers. But before this murky mollusk gets to the table, there's still a lot left to do. Alright folks, now that we've brought our oysters back to the port, it is time for processing. Check out this genius engineering. I expect nothing less from the Japanese. We're on a boat that is also a holding vessel and a conveyor belt. So automatically, all of the oysters are coming off of here, and they're heading to a conveyor belt here, where they're sent over to the processing plant. Now, these oysters definitely will need some processing before this is going to be an actual edible food that I'd be willing to put in my mouth. And I'm somebody who's willing to put just about anything in his mouth. All the oysters have been conveyor belted up here, and this is the first step of processing. Inside of this steel drum, there's a load of water, and it's turning, mixing, and pounding those big chunks of oysters that we saw. So all the detritus, all the different seafood and shellfish are separating. From the steel drum, the oysters go on a conveyor belt, and they drop here into this giant steel cage. You just hook the cage, and the cage is now going to move up and head into the processing facility. Once the oysters are freed from all the gunk and grime, they head into a tank inside the factory for a purification process. Here, they're soaked with filtered fresh water that was pumped from deep underground. Then they're left to sit for 24 hours until they're ready for the next step. They get a chance to detox and get cleaned up, you know? That sounds nice. Yeah. I could use that. Like me after a night of sake. American joke. In Japan, if you say a joke and it lands flat, just say, American joke, and they're like, ha ha! After the oysters are purified from the level below, they're brought up to this level here. Then these oysters are put into this giant hopper. From the giant hopper, they drain down to the floor below where they have a massive team of professional shuckers taking out that delicious, succulent oyster meat from each shell. But trust me, you have never seen shuckers who shuck like this. From that giant oyster hopper on the second floor, all the oysters descend down here into the shucking room. And let me tell you, these guys here are some bad mother shuckers, including Janie. Janie. Yes? Can I see your weapon? Okay. Right here, she has a blade. It's like kind of a piece of wood with a steel spike coming out of it. This is amazing because when you go online and buy a shucking tool, it looks nothing like this. Here, you can have it back. Janie, can I ask you, how many oysters can you shuck in like one hour? Two buckets. How many oysters do you think that is? 80. That's 80? Eight kilos. Oh, eight kilos! I think that is at least 250 oysters, and she's doing two of those buckets every hour. This lady is a machine. Do you ever sometimes just sneak one oyster? Do you ever just eat one? No, because there's a camera. There's a camera? Pre-shucked oysters are a big deal in Japan. Many recipes here skip the shell entirely, which makes shipping massive quantities much more efficient. But that doesn't mean they don't enjoy them the classic way, too. Here, a portion of oysters are still shipped out with the shell intact. How do you choose which ones to shuck and which ones to keep in the shell? He divides them based on appearance. He wants to make sure that it looks nice, it's going to be relatively similar in size. For the ones that we're just shucking, appearance really doesn't matter much. At what point in the process is somebody looking at which ones are big and which ones are small? I've not seen that yet. After the purification process, usually the staff members will separate the large ones from the small ones. They have a circular basket net that they put them in. For one like this, how much longer would this have to stay in the ocean? Oh, one month. Now that we've seen it all, from the farm to the factory, there's only one thing left to do. Sorry about the way I'm sitting. No problem. Some would call it manspreading. I would call it, my chair is the same height as the table. We just keep it to the side. Very cool. Welcome to Shimada Oyster Hut. If that name rings a bell, it's because this restaurant is directly connected to the factory. Once the oysters are processed, they take a short walk to where patrons can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet of oysters that were just chilling in the ocean water earlier this morning. Basically what they've done here is they've brought charcoal, they've brought this tool for shucking, and they're like, well, good luck. You don't actually have to shuck these. I don't? They'll open on their own because of the heat. Should we just fill up the grill then? Yes. You know, it is a good amount of work, but it's kind of fun. It kind of reminds me of Korean barbecue. Yeah, true. Oh, it just blew up. One of these just exploded on me. I have the result right here. I'm not lying. Oh yeah, they're starting to open. I didn't know they explode when they open though. Oh, this is dangerous. I think we need goggles. Oh, there we go. This one has a deep crevice. 25% of them will explode onto you. You do have to watch out for that. I'm shucked. Are you okay? Yeah, I'm okay. That one was already open and exploded. Are you okay? Yeah, just emotionally scarred. We have a lot of flavoring agents over here, but before we put any of that on there, I think we should try it just plain. So I think I've got all the... Why does that keep happening? I think the barnacles? Because it's the barnacle pieces that are like... Yeah, you're right. The little barnacles attached to the oysters get hot and highly pressurized. And just when you're trying to enjoy your next bite, they even share a warning on their website. So dine at your own risk. That is delicious. Smooth, almost creamy, slightly briny. It's got like a natural sweetness to it. I don't know what it is, but I think the two-year period of it waiting really gets it that nice creaminess. Oh, it's so good. It's just like it doesn't need anything. I think it's great on its own, but it also makes me curious what it tastes like with the other stuff. For Japan, in general, all of seafood, it's definitely going to be butter and soy sauce. There's like a word for it. It's butter shoyu. Oh, it's so good. It tastes like caramel at first for a second. Yeah. Because of the sweet oyster, super rich butter, and then some salt from that soy sauce, that's a delicious combination. It brings out the umami flavor of the oysters itself. I also love the idea that Japanese folks are taking something super healthy and turning it into something just full of butter. I mean, that's what we as Americans usually are doing. We're getting good at it. But there's one flavor remaining. It is the garlic butter and cheese on top. This actually looks amazing. And it smells so, so good. Oh, that's a winner. Even just the garlic butter is amazing. It's eaten like with the garlic butter and cheese is like a way that everyone can enjoy it. Except for lactose intolerant people. Okay, not them. How about watch out for our marginalized communities? But can't they take like the medicine to... A nine millimeter? They could just end it all, I guess. Soon we'll see these Hiroshima oysters turned into more complex Japanese dishes. Is this a recipe that you still see commonly today? Or is this really kind of a relic of the past? But first, I want to understand why Hiroshima, of all places, is such a renowned region for growing oysters. Shimada Shunsuke is the man behind it all. Owner and representative director of Shimada Fisheries. Because of the river that flows through here and kind of mixes with the seawater here, that makes it the best habitat to grow these oysters. And he says, notably, the oysters here are creamier. I have to ask you one question. Are you sick of oysters by now? Oh yeah, he's sick of it. We are going to try some of your more peculiar oyster recipes. Starting with this, a fried oyster. To make this dish, start with a coat of flour. Dip it in an egg wash. Then one last roll in Japanese panko, Japan's signature breadcrumbs. Compared to the other countries, you know, other countries eat them raw typically. But here in Hiroshima, he says there's going to be so many different recipes that you can discover. Oh, that's good. All the liquid is basically out of it. It's got like a nice bite to it. Still tender and creamy, of course, but it really firms up. Once it's cooked all the way through like this. Is this mayonnaise? It's tartar sauce and mayonnaise, basically. I'm going to give this a little bit of a squirt. It's creamy, it's tangy, it's crunchy. This is like 10 out of 10. Very nice stuff. You have a very humble kitchen, but a powerful kitchen. A lot's getting done in there. I saw McDonald's is just across the road. They could start selling this. American joke. Thank you. This company is not just you. You come from a long lineage of oyster farmers. How far back does your family go in this industry? Since the 1600s. Your family? That's wild. When did the farming begin and what did that look like? Back then, they didn't use the strings that we use now, but rather they kept them close to shore and they would put the oysters onto the wooden poles so it would be easier to gather. Until recently, they developed now the current method, which is so much easier. Yields much more oysters. It made Hiroshima more famous for the oysters and also provide a lot of oysters to all of Japan. To China and Hong Kong as well. But who gets the best ones? Japan? Yeah, Japan. Good, and I say good because right here we have one more oyster dish that we're going to be trying right now. First, the oysters get boiled with carrots in a pot of broth made from kombu kelp and bonito flakes. Once they've had their moment, rice joins the other ingredients. Then it's all topped off with Japanese mustard greens. Its direct translation will be rice soup with oysters in them. I love it. There's kind of a thick, cloudy broth and some rice. I'm going to try that before even going to the oyster. Oh, wow. It's interesting because it's not quite a congee or porridge. You know, it's not overcooked to that amount, but the rice is very soft. It's insanely savory. I can't believe how savory it is without MSG. The oysters let out its natural flavors into the broth. Of course, the oyster itself, very tender, very soft, a very different experience from the fried oyster. This is a good, like, palate cleanser after everything. True. We've eaten oysters in a few different variations since we've been here, but we haven't had them raw. And actually, we were explicitly told that we can't eat the oysters here raw. And I have to ask you, why is that? Hiroshima is the strictest place to raise oysters. They have so many regulations, which means that there are areas you can eat raw, you cannot eat raw. Eating raw oysters can lead to Vibrio infections, bringing on serious illness, or in some cases, worse. Have you known people who have gotten sick? Not really. I don't know that many people who got food poisoning. And then I asked, there are people you know who got food poisoning. He's like, they're just unlucky. Can I sign a waiver and eat one raw? Okay, okay. Listen, he said other people have gotten food poisoning, but not because they were bad people, because they were unlucky. Kaya? I'm good. Really? Yeah. Are you afraid? A little bit. That's all right. Cheers. Mmm, it's so yummy when it's raw. Mmm, that's when you get that real creaminess. Just a touch of brininess. It's so meaty. That was amazing. Maybe even life-changing. And it tasted even better, because it was an exclusive taste of something that is forbidden. You will never get to experience what I just experienced. It might be my last one ever, but I want to say, absolutely worth it. Sir? Arigato gozaimasu. These are Japan's everyday oyster dishes, enjoyed by all. But from here, we're heading to an exclusive kitchen. A place where money is no object. But where creating a top-tier oyster experience is everything. Sir, put her there. Amazing to meet you. You're welcome. Thank you. This might be a dish that few people, even in Japan, recognize. It's called the Miyajimayaki. Nowadays, no one knows where the origin of this recipe is. So he minced together oysters, green onions, and miso, all together to make kind of like a paste. These oysters have been minced? Yes, minced. I don't think I've ever seen minced oysters before. That's very cool. This is baked on top of the typical rice spatula that is used across Japan. Right. Because Miyajima Island invented this 200 years ago. That's why not only does it show the cuisine of this area, but also kind of the history behind it. What must be done before I eat this? You must rinse your mouth with sake to cleanse the palate. Oh, I don't know. It's only 10.08 a.m. Okay. Oh, morning sake. So this will be my first time using a spoon to eat from an even bigger spoon. Take some of this miso paste, green onion, and diced up oysters. Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. Of course, you taste the miso. It's that fermented soybean. It's full of flavor. It has a deep umami. And then you're getting those chunks of oyster in there, which contribute even more flavor, even more umami. It's just like a pure flavor paste. This would go really good with rice. You could smear this on anything. I'm so tempted just to eat from the big spoon, but I'll be polite. I have a little bit left. I didn't know I was supposed to leave some. I thought that would have been rude. Coming up next, a French-inspired dish called atsu-atsu. It's built around a ball of rice, a single oyster, lily pulps, plantain lilies, and ostrich fern, all tucked into a piping hot ceramic bowl. Then comes the sauce, made with starch, salt, mirin, soy sauce, and kombu dashi. Then it's tossed in an oven until it's cooked all the way through. This is not an onsen, not a hotel. It's a... Ryokan. A hotel is more for staying overnight. It's not really an experience, but a ryokan is definitely an immersive experience, in my opinion. Once you enter, it's like you're going back in time. And something really notable is you take your shoes off when you enter. Moments ago, we were eating fried oysters, like something you would find at a state fair in the USA. And then this, something decadent, very premium-looking. It's a single oyster. Are you ready? I'm so ready. Let's go for it. The oyster itself is delicious. The seasonal ingredients that he used has more of a peppery flavor to it, so it adds a different dimension. The rice is cooked perfectly, too. Thank God the owner is not here right now. He won't see me scraping to the bottom of this. Oh, that's good. So that is kind of our appetizer, but right here we have the oyster nabe, or hot pot. Into a pot of boiling kelp, the chef drops in white cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, Japanese mustard greens, and finally, the star of Hiroshima, the oysters. When I heard oyster hot pot, maybe I was expecting more something like I would see in Vietnam, like a bunch of stuff just thrown in one pot. This is so organized, and it feels so Japanese. They're like, what? We're not going to just mix all these ingredients together. You can take the ingredients and put it into your own dish. These are some real plump oysters here. They're really fat. Okay, very simple. Very light. Almost just watery, and it's just taken on some of the flavor of the ingredients in there, especially the cabbage. I'm going to take some of this cabbage, hit it with a little bit of sauce. Soy sauce, kombu dashi. There's also ponzu in here. Right, like a little bit of citrus? Yes. Oh, and then there's these local greens. Wow, this is such a bright sauce. Yes. Slightly sour, a little savory. I think we should jump right here to the oyster. This is going to be incredible. God, it's a tremendous mix between being kind of meaty, hearty. It's got a bite to it, but it's still a bit creamy. It's still tender, and it's got some of that brininess has washed out a bit, and then it just soaks up this citrusy ponzu sauce. It's a perfect pairing, these two. My journey with oysters started in Japan. On my first trip here, I thought bigger is better, and I put it in my mouth, and it was so big I almost choked on it. It's delicious. It was too much. I did not enjoy that experience at all, and I thought, why does everyone love this? Like, what's wrong with me? And over time, I've come to appreciate oysters, which is easier to do with more moderately sized oysters like these. How old were you when you first tried an oyster? I think I was eight or seven years old. First time I ate it was raw. A couple years ago. I had it raw, and I loved it, actually. Then I became an oyster fanatic to the point where I eat too much, and my parents are genuinely concerned for me. Since you're so well-versed in oysters, how does this compare? Oh, this is completely different from how I typically eat oysters, and I love to taste the different ways that it can be eaten, and I realized that oyster has so much depth to it, in a way, because it could taste completely different based on how you try to eat it, and I loved all the ways we've eaten it so far. I think the best move from here is to head out and talk about which oyster dishes were our absolute favorite from today. I'm ready to go. Boom! Today we ate a bunch of different oysters. I gotta ask you, Kaya, which was your favorite oyster dish of the day? For me, it would be the Miyagi-yaki, which is what we had here with the spoon. Very good choice. I enjoyed that as well. But for me, considering I still had this little, like, slice of white trash in me, I liked the fried one. Fried oysters with mayo or tartar sauce on top that you could squeeze from plastic. She doesn't like the... Sound. Discover Japan and beyond through food experiences with BuyFood.com. Join a local food tour and dive into food experiences across vibrant neighborhoods, hidden gems, and family-run eateries. It's so good! From sizzling street snacks... Hot! ...to Michelin-starred feasts, BuyFood connects you to the soul of local cuisine. I've never had anything like this. Book food tours, cooking classes, and more on BuyFood.com.