Abstract
In recent years, the consumption of fish and shellfish in Japan has decreased greatly; therefore, the tradition of eating local fish and shellfish could be lost. The objective of this study was to investigate consumer habits of eating fish and shellfish in the following three areas (collected with the help of the Japan Society of Cookery Science): entire Japan, the Chugoku-Shikoku region (excluding Okayama Prefecture), and Okayama Prefecture. The number of Japanese Spanish mackerel dishes consumed per person was highest for residents of Okayama Prefecture (1.57 dishes/person) and lowest in Japan as a whole (0.45 dishes/person). There was a significant association between the cooking methods (raw, boiling, broiling, and frying) and consumption in the three areas (P<0.01). Thus, the tradition of eating local fish and shellfish remains alive in Okayama Prefecture; it is ecologically important that this local production and consumption be maintained.
