Spicy cod roe is an essential part of Fukuoka’s gourmet cuisine. There are said to be some 200 spicy cod roe manufacturers, both large and small, and Yamaya (Yamaya Communications), founded in 1974, is one of the best known in Fukuoka.
Relocated to new headquarters and factory on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the company’s founding
In 2023, Yamaya moved its factory and headquarters from Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City to Sasaguri-machi, Kasuya-gun, in the northwestern part of Fukuoka. It is located on a hill with easy access, about 20 minutes by car from Fukuoka City, and overlooks the lush greenery of Sasaguri Town.
The relocation is part of a major project to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company’s founding, and the new Yamaya Factory Terrace, a facility where visitors can enjoy spicy cod roe more deeply, including a store selling freshly made spicy cod roe, a restaurant with a superb view, a factory tour, and a pickling experience. The new Yamaya facility has already become a hot topic of conversation, attracting locals and tourists alike, and is said to be playing a role in creating the vitality of Sasaguri Town.
New plant combining traditional manufacturing methods with the latest technology
Spicy cod roe refers to salted walleye pollock roe, which is then dipped in a seasoning solution. It was in 1949 that Toshio Kawahara, founder of Fukuoka’s Fukuya Corporation, created spicy cod roe based on the taste of cod roe pickled in kimchi that he had tasted in Pusan, Korea. Mr. Kawahara taught the production method to others around him, and the number of spicy cod roe makers in Fukuoka increased, with many of them taking pride in their taste. Yamaya,” which was established in 1974, was one of them. Furthermore, with the opening of the Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train line in 1975, demand for spicy cod roe increased, and spicy cod roe became famous throughout Japan as a “Fukuoka specialty.
The process of making spicy cod roe at Yamaya begins with purchasing Russian and American pollock roe from the Sea of Okhotsk and other northern seas to Busan and the United States, where auctions are held.
Once the mature roes, called mako, which are suitable for spicy cod roe, are purchased, they are salted at the factory using a unique method to produce salted cod roe with a nice, crunchy texture. While some spicy cod roe makers purchase the roe in the form of tarako (cod roe), “Yamaya” has been doing everything from purchasing the roe to making the tarako in-house in order to preserve the texture of the grains.
Adopted the industry’s first AI cod roe sorting machine
Once the cod roe is ready, this is where the “AI cod roe sorting machine” comes in. It is amazing that the machine can sort tarako by quality grade, such as commercial use, home use, and gift use, based on the bloodline and color of the fish from about 400,000 images.
Daisuke Taniguchi, the factory manager, says, “The reason we adopted AI was because we were facing a serious shortage of human resources, such as aging veteran factory staff.
Until now, sorting has been supported by the unverifiable knowledge of skilled connoisseurs. However, to break down the problem, we succeeded in using AI, which we developed jointly with IBM Japan, to incorporate the discernment into data that could be shared objectively. This has enabled us to maintain a high level of accuracy without placing a burden on veteran staff and has made stable manufacturing possible,” he smiles.
This is the first adoption of an AI grade sorting machine in this industry. With a flexible attitude that leads the industry, a new challenge has begun.
The key to the flavor is the artisanal sauce and 168 hours of aging
On the other hand, since the establishment of the company, we have been adhering to the manufacturing process of “Takumi-no-Tare,” a seasoning solution used to marinate cod roe and turn it into spicy cod roe. The sauce is made with chili peppers for a pleasantly spicy taste, Rausu kelp from Hokkaido that adds rich flavor, and blue and yellow yuzu citrons from Kyushu that spread a gorgeous aroma. The use of water causes the sauce to oxidize easily and shortens its shelf life, so Takumi no tare does not use water at all, instead using sake. The sake is used instead, and its flavor and sweetness on the spicy cod roe has the effect of creating a unique mellow taste.
The sauce, which has been passed down over the 50 years of its history, has been established as the “Yamaya” taste without changing the golden ratio in any age. Another key point is that this artisan sauce is aged for 168 hours, or seven days. While many manufacturers usually marinate the sauce for two to three days, the founder, Hideo Yamamoto, and his wife, based the sauce on their trial-and-error efforts to find a way to make it taste better, and found that marinating it for one week made it much tastier. Sensory tests have proven that the one-week aging process has also improved the taste.
The taste of the grains that pop in your mouth and the aroma of yuzu and daiginjo are the true essence of “Yamaya”.
Spicy cod roe “Sumisen” and “Yamamoto Shuha’s cod roe” filled with our specialties
Yamaya offers a variety of spicy cod roe, including “Dekitate Mentaiko” for home use and “Mimi” for gift-giving, but there is also a premium spicy cod roe that is even more particular about taste and quality.
The “Sumiyama” (280g / 6,480 yen), a twice-marinated style of spicy cod roe that is aged for one week as usual and then marinated for two days in “Kitaya’s” daiginjo “Kansansui” and Takumi no tare, entices with its smooth, rich, and elegant flavor.
Also available is Yamaya’s quintessential spicy cod roe, “Yamamoto Syuha no Mentaiko (300g / 10,800 yen). Yamamoto Shuha” is the pseudonym used by the founder, Hideo Yamamoto, when making spicy cod roe. For his son’s wedding, he personally selected the spicy cod roe for his son’s wedding, saying, “This is the only one I will ever make.” He selected each cod roe by checking its color, luster, and egg filling with his own eyes, and marinated it using a secret recipe.
The new vision is “From Kyushu to the world, the Yamaya Standard
Yamaya’s desire to deliver delicious food is not limited to spicy cod roe, but now encompasses a wide range of products, including the all-purpose dashi pack “Umadashi”, motsunabe, sake, and agricultural products. In addition to the nationwide Hakata Motsunabe Yamaya, the company also operates food service businesses in Asia, the U.S., and Europe.
In 2023, the flagship store “Yamaya Sohonten” will open in Shirokane, Fukuoka. It will open a kappo restaurant “Zen” and a casual dining and souvenir shop “Shirogane Neko Michi” to promote Kyushu’s cuisine.
Yamaya, which has been growing as a comprehensive producer of food by focusing on Kyushu’s food and food culture, aims to “set the Yamaya standard from Kyushu to the world”. The company’s global challenge is sure to energize Fukuoka and Kyushu even further.
