Japanese cuisine has been gaining popularity since 2017-2019, and continued to grow during the pandemic due to its health benefits. We have seen a wide variety of Japanese ingredients and food being popular in Canada recently, such as Hojicha, wagyu and fruit liqueur.

Hamachi (Japanese Yellowtail)
Limiting meat consumption to only seafood has been a recent big diet trend, as a result restaurants have seen an increase in seafood orders compared to meat and vegetables. The Japanese Yellowtail has been attracting attention from chefs in the United States, and it could be the next seafood trend, according to an article by Total Food Service. Hamachi is described as tender but firm in texture, and its high quality, tasty fat melts in one’s mouth. Michelin-starred chefs and famous chefs of Aquavit and Veranda in NYC are beginning to create more dishes using Hamachi. Currently in Canada, most of the restaurants offering Hamachi are Japanese cuisine, but we may see a rise of non-Japanese restaurants incorporating this ingredient in their menus.