Southern Oita Prefecture has a long stretch of ria coastline, with many sheltered inner bays. Even during summer, the water in these bays remains relatively cool, making the area particularly suitable for farming flounder, a fish that is sensitive to high temperatures.
Oita is one of Japan’s leading producers of farmed flounder. Its products are highly regarded for both their attractive color and the quality of their flesh.
One distinctive feature of Oita’s farmed flounder is its beautiful golden color. The secret lies in the yellow sheets used to cover the walls of the tanks where the fish are raised.
Flounder naturally live close to the seabed, where their brown coloring helps them blend in with the sandy surroundings. Taking inspiration from this characteristic, fish farmers covered the walls of their farming tanks with yellow sheets. This change resulted in flounder with a striking golden appearance.
Another distinctive product is Kabosu Flounder. This fish is raised on feed mixed with kabosu juice, using Oita’s locally produced citrus fruit.
Kabosu Flounder has attracted attention for the mild flavor of its liver, which is free from the unpleasant odor sometimes associated with fish liver. Its engawa—the flavorful fin muscle along the edge of the flounder—is also refreshing and light in taste.
Kabosu Flounder brings together Oita’s favorable environment for aquaculture and one of the prefecture’s best-known agricultural specialties. Its golden appearance, thick flesh, and the refreshing flavor of its engawa make it a distinctive local seafood product.