Demand for yellowtail crossbreed continues to climb in Japan

The popularity of “burihara,” a yellowtail crossbreed originally developed in 2017 by Kindai University in Hagashi-Osaka, has begun to skyrocket in Japan, with supermarkets and sushi stores drastically increasing their sales of the product nationwide.

Burihara, which is the offspring of a female “buri,” or yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata), and a male “hiramasa,” or yellowtail amberjack (Seriola lalandi), is the byproduct of an agreement six years ago to promote sustainable aquaculture and marine products. The arrangement between Beisia, a supermarket chain with 130 stores; and Shoku En Co., a company affiliated with Kindai University, quickly led to the university developing the crossbreed.

Soon after development, Beisia began to offer burihira in its stores, starting with 1,000 fish in 2018 and increasing to 15,000 in 2019, 20,000 in 2020, and 50,000 in 2021. This year, Beisia is further expanding the sales volume to 80,000 fish.

“By actively selling fish species raised … using artificial seedlings, we hope to contribute to environmentally friendly initiatives such as reducing food loss and securing marine resources,” Beisia said.

Buri is fatty, with a rich umami flavor. However, its meat is soft, and the dark muscle portion of the fish tends to discolor quickly. Hiramasa, meanwhile, is lean, has a light taste with a crisp texture, and is resistant to discoloration. The crossbred burihira combines the rich taste of buri with the crispness and color retention of hiramasa.

Though such crosses occasionally occur in nature, they are typically too rare for commercialization. The university, capitalizing on the unique flavor profiles of both parent fish, has registered the name “Burihara” as a brand.

This is not the first time Kindai has experimented with fish production. In fact, the university is famous for developing a closed-cycle bluefin tuna production process. 

As the university, also referred to as Kinki University, raises juveniles from eggs in its nursery, the production ... 

Photo courtesy of Beisia Co.