Excellence In Aquaculture Izumi Dai: It's New Meaning in the Industry Questions abound these days as to the exact meaning of "izumi dai, and in this advisory, we'll try to explain the meaning and origin of the phrase. Izumi dai, quite literally, is the Japanese description for "red snapper". But within the seafood industry, the term has taken on a different meaning in recent years. Now, it's a common description of Asian farm-raised fillets - usually tilapia- that have been put through a marination stage during processing. How izumi dai became associated with tilapia goes back to the late 1990's when frozen tilapia producers in Southeast Asia began using the marinating - now commonly known as "tasteless smoke" in America - to keep the bloodlines very red during the freeze-thaw process. When the processed tilapia began selling on the market, customers commented on their beautiful red blood lines and pinkish flesh appearance, often saying that the fish looked a lot like Japanese red snapper, also known as "izumi dai." Thus, the izumi dai phrase began to be associated with and later used to describe the new type of processed tilapia. And it was only a matter of time before izumi dai became the generally used term when describing specially processed fillets. Later, izumi dai became an adjective to describe the quality of fish itself - when you hear the phrase in connection with a seafood product, it is meant to mean "of the highest quality." In reality, some processors perform the actal izumi dai process better than others. If they have the right technology and techniques, the izumi dai-processed fish not only has enhanced appearance, but the product has a more natural and wholesome taste. And, at Western Edge Seafood, izumi dai is much more than a marketing term. When we use it, we're telling you that the fish you purchase is of the highest quality done according to the strictest processing guidelines at the best processing plants. We also constantly ensure that all steps in the process are uniformly executed so the end user gets a consistently high-quality product. Plus, we use the term to describe not just tilapia. Western Edge now offers an izumi dai style farm-raised channel catfish, too - a first in the seafood industry.