Japanese fish killing, also known as Ike Jime or spinal cord destruction (SCD), is a Japanese technique where:
1) The spinal cord and blood vessels are severed at the head and tail of the fish.
2) A needle is then threaded through the spinal column to destroy the spinal cord.
3) The fish is then placed in water to bleed out.
Experiments showed fish killed with this technique had a firmer texture and were preferred over fish that just had their blood vessels cut or no bleeding. Destroying the spinal cord ensured the muscle "didn't know it was dead" and prevented involuntary contractions that degrade texture.
Japanese fish killing, also known as Ike Jime or spinal cord destruction (SCD), is a Japanese technique where:
1) The spinal cord and blood vessels are severed at the head and tail of the fish.
2) A needle is then threaded through the spinal column to destroy the spinal cord.
3) The fish is then placed in water to bleed out.
Experiments showed fish killed with this technique had a firmer texture and were preferred over fish that just had their blood vessels cut or no bleeding. Destroying the spinal cord ensured the muscle "didn't know it was dead" and prevented involuntary contractions that degrade texture.
Japanese fish killing, also known as Ike Jime or spinal cord destruction (SCD), is a Japanese technique where:
1) The spinal cord and blood vessels are severed at the head and tail of the fish.
2) A needle is then threaded through the spinal column to destroy the spinal cord.
3) The fish is then placed in water to bleed out.
Experiments showed fish killed with this technique had a firmer texture and were preferred over fish that just had their blood vessels cut or no bleeding. Destroying the spinal cord ensured the muscle "didn't know it was dead" and prevented involuntary contractions that degrade texture.
Japanese Fish Killing is the Japanese word for pufferfish and
the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin, therefore has to be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to avoid contaminating the meat. The restaurant preparation of fugu is strictly controlled by the law in Japan and several other countries, and only chefs who have qualified through rigorous training are allowed to deal with the fish. However, the domestic preparation occasionally leads to accidental death. Fugu is served as sashimi and chirinabe. Some consider the liver the tastiest part but it is also the most poisonous, and serving the fugu liver in restaurants was banned in Japan in 1984. Fugu has become one of the most celebrated and notorious dishes in Japanese cuisine.
HISTORY
Japanese have eaten fugu for centuries. Fugu bones have been found in several shell mounds, called kaizuka, from the Jmon period that date back more than 2,300 years. The Tokugawa shogunate (1603 1868) prohibited the consumption of fugu in Edo and its area of influence. It became common again as the power of the shogunate weakened. In western regions of Japan, where the government's influence was weaker and fugu was easier to get, various cooking methods were developed to safely eat them. During the Meiji Era (18671912), fugu was again banned in many areas. Fugu is also the only food officially forbidden to the Emperor of Japan, for his safety.
JAPANESE FISH KILLING
The spinal cord and main blood vessels are severed at the head and tail, a long needle is pushed down the spinal cord, and the fish is placed in ice water to bleed out. Several months ago, Dave Chang of Momofuku fame called me and said, We have to investigate this Ike Jime thing. McGee says its bullshit. I am pretty sure McGee (that would be Harold McGee, master blaster of science in the kitchen) didnt say that Ike Jime was bullshit, but rather that he couldnt think of any reason it would make a difference in the taste of the fish. The part about cutting at the head and the tail and allowing the fish to bleed isnt really in dispute. This technique does get the blood out. The question is: does the needle in the spine do anything? The Japanese insist that the needle is important because it ensures that the muscle doesnt know it is dead. Skeptics wonder what the point of skewering the spine is after the spinal cord has been cut. Nils and I set out to do some Ike Jime experiments at the school. We needed an unimpeachable expert so we could make sure it was done correctly. Friend of the school Saori Kawano, from Korin knives, put us in touch with Chef Toshio Suzuki, of Sushi Zen in NYC (btw, if you dont know Korin, check out their website here. Make sure you have a napkin to wipe up the drool). Sushi Zen is one of the most highly regarded sushi restaurants in New York. Chef Suzuki graciously agreed to come in and demonstrate the technique Small farmed striped bass (all 4 hours dead): Western (no bleeding, left on counter for 20 minutes, hit on head, gutted an hour later), Japanese bled (cut through the spinal cord behind the gills and at the tail and bled in ice water, then gutted right away), and Ike Jime (like Japanese bled but with a needle jammed into the spinal cord.) Small fluke (all 2.5 hours dead): Western (no bleeding, but hit on the head right after removing from water, gutted an hour later), Japanese bled, and Ike Jime. Small black sea bass (2 hours dead): Western (like fluke), Japanese bled, Ike Jime (the Ike Jime on this was only partial, it was hard to get the needle all the way down because the spinal cord was so small). Barramundi: Not tasted (we were going to cook it next day) We tasted them blind first, and then continued tasting after we knew which was which.
Striped bass, no bleed on top, Japanese-bled in the middle, full Ike Jime on bottom The difference between the stripers was amazing. The un-bled stripers flesh was obviously ruddy, had a metallic flavor and a mealy texture. The Japanese-bled fish was very clean tasting and didnt have the mealy texture of the un-bled fish. It was good. The Ike Jime striper, however, clearly had a firmer, better texture. 100% of those present preferred it. If you look at the picture, you can see that the Ike Jime striper has more color than the Japanese-bled. I think this is because it took a while to get the needle in whereas the other fish went right into the ice water to bleed. An alternate explanation is that Ike Jime lessened the force of muscle contractions, and strong muscle contractions help expel blood. In the future, I will place the fish in water to bleed first and then needle it. As an interesting side note, the Ike Jime striper, even after 4 hours, even after it had been gutted, was still twitching occasionallythe muscles were still alive as Suzuki said (technically, the ATP, adenosine triphosphate, hadnt been fully used, and that is the critical issue with Ike Jime as we shall see later).
The difference between the stripers was amazing. The un-bled stripers flesh was obviously ruddy, had a metallic flavor and a mealy texture. The Japanese-bled fish was very clean tasting and didnt have the mealy texture of the un-bled fish. It was good. The Ike Jime striper, however, clearly had a firmer, better texture. 100% of those present preferred it. If you look at the picture, you can see that the Ike Jime striper has more color than the Japanese-bled. I think this is because it took a while to get the needle in whereas the other fish went right into the ice water to bleed. An alternate explanation is that Ike Jime lessened the force of muscle contractions, and strong muscle contractions help expel blood. In the future, I will place the fish in water to bleed first and then needle it. As an interesting side note, the Ike Jime striper, even after 4 hours, even after it had been gutted, was still twitching occasionallythe muscles were still alive as Suzuki said (technically, the ATP, adenosine triphosphate, hadnt been fully used, and that is the critical issue with Ike Jime as we shall see later).
SPINAL CORD DESTRUCTION!
The best paper on the subject I could get my hands on is: Influence of storage temperatures and killing procedures on post-mortem changes in the muscle of horse mackerel caught near Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, Toshio Mishima, et al. in Fisheries Science, 2005; 71: 187-194 (I cant post a link because you need an account that can log into the Science Direct database. All you university types can get it. If anyone can get a hold of the Fisheries Science journal number 62 from 1996, there are 3 articles I want to read that are referenced in this article). The technique we have been calling Ike Jime they call spinal cord destruction (SCD). I like thatvery descriptive. The fish were killed by making a cut at the brain, letting it bleed, and immediately destroying its spinal cord by the insertion of a piano wire through the neural canal. Here is the story: Certain fish that swim for very long periods have highly a highly developed autonomic nervous system for swimming (sounds like the CPGs Bob was talking about). These fish, like bass, like horse mackerel, etc. benefit from spinal cord destruction. Other fish, like plaice, that dont have highly evolved constant swimming reflexes, dont benefit (or at least not as much). JIME AKA SPINAL CORD DESTRUCTION (SCD):
Japanese fish killing technique where the spinal cord and blood vessels are severed at the head and tail, a needle is threaded through the spinal column to destroy the spinal cord, and the fish is placed in water to bleed out.
1: Stressed. In our Suzuki test the fish was really, really stressed. This one was a little less so- instead of hitting it in the head with a mallet we killed it instantly by slicing into its brain- more humane. Fish 1 Stressed: a) remove from water for 30 minutes; b) kill by putting knife in brain; c) do not bleed. Wait 30 minutes then remove head and gut
2: Japanese-bled Fish 2 Japanese Bled: a) cut spine and vessels at head; b) cut spine and vessels at tail; c) bleed in ice water then remove head and gut 3: Ike Jime (Spinal Cord Destruction). Note: I noticed that one of the fillets on this fish had a soft spot even while it was alive like someone had gripped it hard with their thumb. The rest of the fish seemed fine.
4: Japanese-bled then immediately filleted. Fish 4 Japanese Bled Then Filleted: a) cut spine and vessels at head; b) cut spine and vessels at tail; c) bleed in ice water; d) gut; e) immediately fillet
No bleeding, immediate filleting Fish 5 Immediate Fillet: a) cut spine and vessels at head; b) remove head and gut; c) immediately fillet then rinse fillet in ice water
6: CO2 and iced sea-water anesthesia followed by Japanese-bleeding and immediate filleting. This fish, unlike the eel, thrashed around a lot when the CO2 was bubbling in the water. After about three minutes it was knocked out and stayed knocked out.
7: N2O (laughing gas) and iced sea-water anesthesia followed by Japanese- bleeding and immediate filleting. This fish thrashed less than the CO2 fish, but woke up quickly when it was removed from the bucket. We used the N2O three times. The process wasnt as trauma-free as we had hoped.
McDonough's Bar-Keepers' Guide and Gentlemen's Sideboard Companion: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide for Preparing all Kinds of Plain and Fancy Mixed Drinks and Popular Beverages of the Day According to the Approved and Accepted Methods of the Profession