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Ikejime 活け締め : Propelling Freshness to the Next Level

Ikejime 活け締め

Propelling Freshness to the Next Level

Ikejime technique image

What is Ikejime?

Ikejime is a traditional Japanese slaughter technique that was developed over 350 years ago.

It is used by the finest sushi restaurants in the world to present their customers with the highest quality sashimi.

Lively and
Energetic Fish

The first and foremost criterion for successfully performing Ikejime is to have a lively and energetic fish.

This is essential for the technique to be carried out effectively, resulting in a biochemically superior grade Fillet.

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Step 1:Brain Spike

  • To euthanize it before it experiences full suffocation.
  • This prevents the brain from sending signals to the rest of the body, excreting cortisol and adrenaline.
  • Both hormones have detrimental effects on the quality of the meat.

Step 2: Bleeding

  • Blood is one factor that can lead to fish quickly spoiling.
  • That fishy smell and abbreviated shelf life are often the results of complete lack of bleeding
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Step 3 Image

Step 3: ShinkeiJime

  • Destruction of the spinal cord, paralyzes the fish and prevents any neural chemical signaling from the spinal cord reaching the muscle tissue.
  • This helps to relax the fish and elevate its freshness quality, resulting in a seafood product with zero smell.

Step 4: Cooldown

  • Icing the fish temperature down immediately after it has been euthanized using the Ikejime technique.
  • The degradation speed of the flesh is slowed down, resulting in a seafood product that is fresher and of higher quality.
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