Suisan Co. enjoys renaissance with poke’s ascent

HILO >> The global poke craze means different things to different people, but for the venerable Suisan Co., it means nothing less than a renaissance of its Hilo Bay waterfront market.

Suisan began as a fish market established by a hui of Japanese immigrants, when fish was the most humble of commodities, company President Steve Ueda said. “Their thinking was this would be the answer to their dreams, to create a better opportunity for themselves. It was a simple thing to create opportunity.”

That was 110 years ago last September.

In that century-plus Suisan did not just grow, it transformed, into a multimillion- dollar business dealing primarily in the wholesaling of food-service products. The fish market is now just 10 percent of the overall business, Ueda said.

Still, notes Glenn Hashi­moto, Suisan’s executive adviser, the fish market has always been the public face of the company. “It’s become part of the fabric of the community. People hear you work for Suisan, they say, ‘You sell fish.’ They always go back to the roots of the company.”

Hashimoto, who started as a bookkeeper with Suisan in 1973, has seen the company through many an evolution. Now, he said, “poke for us is really the driver.”

Or, as Ueda put it, “The poke craze marked the renaissance of our fish market.”

Fishermen have always unloaded their fish right at the market, but almost all of it was sold whole or filleted to restaurants and hotels. Retail sales through the market were “just for the overflow,” Ueda said.

That started changing about 10 years ago. Retail sales, mostly poke, is now about half of the fish market’s business, he said. “Fish is not common man’s food; it’s become a specialty.”

In 1946 and 1960 tidal waves wiped out the waterfront structure, but moving inland was never an option. For one thing, the company owns the land, Ueda said. For another, “it’s the anchor for our business.”

At the market the takeout case is filled with a changing variety of fresh pokes, depending on the daily catch — hamachi, salmon, opakapaka … Suisan specials include the Mix Plate (opihi, ahi, salmon, marlin, salmon and limu) or Magic Marlin (Korean style with kochujang).

Robert Shibata, Suisan’s retail manager, said 400 pounds of fish cubes are prepared daily, to make 500 pounds of poke. Another 200 pounds of fish is sold as fillets.

King salmon comes from New Zealand; hamachi, blue fin tuna and oysters, from Japan. Everything else is caught in waters off Hilo, Shibata said, no farther than 24 hours away. The catch is restricted to short lines only, no longlines or driftnets, and the fish is never frozen or gassed to improve its color.

“It does ensure a fresher quality,” he said. “Also, I feel it supports the local fishermen.”

Whole fish over 20 pounds are stored in a chilled holding room at 29 degrees for 24 hours if they’re headed for poke and up to 48 hours for sale to wholesale clients. “You’re pretty much aging the fish like you would a steak.”

Large fish at that temperature won’t freeze, Shibata said, but maintain an ideal internal temperature.

This sort of business model offers challenges going forward, as fewer full-time fishermen ply the waters these days. “We pray for the catch,” Shibata said.

So once again the business is changing.

“The fun challenge I see is to show other types of fish that are sustainable,” Shibata said. Invasive species such as taape and uku (gray snapper) will show up in the takeout case.

Shibata’s goal in three to five years is a sit-down restaurant at the waterfront, yet another evolution for the company. That’s not a formal plan yet, he said; “it’s more like a dream.”

UKU, or gray snapper, is among the most popular types of poke sold at the Suisan fish market. It was developed as part of an effort to use invasive fish species.

“A lot of people don’t understand how delicate the meat is,” Suisan President Steve Ueda said. “A lot of people say, ‘I can’t believe you have uku poke. My grandpa used to make that.’”

SUISAN UKU POKE

By Suisan Co.

• 2 pounds raw uku (gray snapper, see note), cut in cubes
• 2-1/2 tablespoons usukuchi (light, sweetened soy sauce, available at Japanese markets)
• 1-1/4 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1-1/4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1/3 cup tobiko or masago (fish eggs)
• Salt, to taste
• Black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

>> Note: Any type of snapper can be used in place of uku, such as opakapaka (pink), onaga or ehu (red) or gindai (tai snapper). Ono (wahoo) is also a substitute.

Combine all ingredients gently, adding salt last after tasting. Garnish with sesame seeds, if using. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information (not including salt to taste): 210 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 2 g sugar, 34 g protein.

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