Trails to Tsukiji

Hamachi, or Japanese yellowtail, is found only in Japanese waters, and is fairly rare worldwide. With its reasonable cost, it's popular as sashimi and sushi. We take a look at the world of farm-raised hamachi, visiting fish farms and discovering what sorts of technologies, feeds and methods are used to give the fish a richness and flavor that's said to be better than that of wild-caught hamachi.

Japan's mountain yams, yamaimo, are an extremely versatile ingredient. Grated, they're enjoyed on rice in a sticky yet delicious paste. When cooked, they take on a range of textures and flavors. On this episode, we visit farmers to discover the labor-intensive methods used to create perfect yams, explore a centuries-old restaurant that offers a variety of traditional yam-based dishes, and even see how they're used to create sweet Japanese confections.