A famous summer delicacy from Kyoto, Tango Torigai (Japanese cockle), is in trouble this year. Over 100,000 farm-raised shellfish had to be destroyed because of a harmful toxin found in them.
These prized shellfish, grown in northern Kyoto and sold as a luxury local brand (sometimes for over $90 each), are known for their thick, sweet meat. However, this season, farms in Maizuru Bay and Miyazu Bay had to cancel shipments after detecting a toxin called diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), which can cause food poisoning in humans.
Even though the shellfish looked perfect in size and quality, they had to be burned due to safety rules. Local inns and shops are suffering too, as they can't serve the popular dish. Some say they could only welcome 20% of the usual customers this season.
The DSP toxin comes from plankton that shellfish eat. While researchers found a specific kind of plankton likely responsible, they still don’t know why it increased so much in the bays this year. The total loss in Maizuru Bay is estimated to exceed 100 million yen (about $620,000+).
Farmers, who’ve been raising Tango Torigai for over 30 years, are devastated. It’s the first time in history that all shipments were fully banned. They’ve spent decades building up the brand’s reputation, only to watch this year’s harvest go to waste.
No one knows how long the problem will last, and fishermen are left hoping next year will be better.
by MagazineKey4532