Shako (Mantis Shrimp) Sushi

Shako / Edible mantis shrimp

Shrimp & Mantis Shrimp

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Crustacea, Malacostraca, Stomatopoda, Squillidae

Although it is an arthropod like shrimp and crab, the pincer-bearing shrimp and crab belong to the order Decapoda, while the mantis shrimp belongs to the order Stomatopoda, making it a different group. In the past, Tokyo Bay and the Seto Inland Sea were famous production areas, but in recent years catches from Ishikari Bay and from foreign countries have increased.

The mantis shrimp lives on the muddy bottoms of inner bays and grows to about 15 cm in length. Its shell is hard, and its legs are sickle-shaped with sharp spines. Although it resembles a shrimp in appearance, it is a completely different species. The main production areas for mantis shrimp were once Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, Mikawa Bay, and the area around the Seto Inland Sea, but these have now sharply declined, and in recent years catches from Hokkaido, Taiwan, and China have increased. It is carnivorous and extremely aggressive, catching ambushed prey in a single strike. The English name "mantis" shrimp comes from the praying mantis, and it was given this name because the way it uses its sickle-like limbs to capture prey resembles a praying mantis. In Japanese it has several unique names as well: because it turns a color like the rhododendron (shakunage) when boiled, it was named "shakuwa-ebi," and because it throws a violent tantrum (shaku) when caught, it was called "shaku-ebi" - unique not only in appearance but also in name. The mantis shrimp is caught year-round, with its season running from autumn to early winter, and in Hokkaido there is also an autumn mantis shrimp fishery. Particularly prized are the females carrying ovaries called "katsubushi" in their belly, which from spring to early summer trade at higher prices than the males. The mantis shrimp itself has a light flavor, but the females with katsubushi are rich and have depth of flavor, making them highly popular.

From a common standard topping to a luxury topping

In many production areas the mantis shrimp was eaten boiled or simmered, but in the Kanto region it has long been known as a representative ingredient of Edo-mae sushi. In the past, large quantities were also caught in places like Tokyo Bay, so it was eaten casually even at home, but in recent years catches have sharply declined, so it has become a luxury item and is no longer common. There are three types of sushi preparation - raw, boiled, and boiled-and-peeled - but because the mantis shrimp's shell is hard and difficult to peel in the raw state, it is generally boiled before the shell is peeled and used as a sushi topping; raw is extremely rare and expensive. There is also a gunkan-maki (battleship roll) called "shako-zume," made by gathering the small muscles peeled from the rare claws of the mantis shrimp.

The Sushi Chef's Garage

The world of Edo-mae sushi is known for its stylish chic, and the sushi chef's car park is also very chic. Among people in the sushi industry, "garage" refers to the mantis shrimp (shako): the word for a car garage (shako) is a pun on shako, the mantis shrimp, so they came to be called "garage."
Words that only make sense among fellow members of the trade are called "fucho" (jargon), and sushi chefs pack their jargon full of playful wit.