What is "domestic gibier"?
Gibier" is a food that is becoming more and more common these days. Why do we see more and more of it in restaurants and other places throughout the year?
Have you been seeing more and more Japanese gibier meat on restaurant menus lately?
You may be thinking, "I don't usually see gibier meat in supermarkets, so if a restaurant serves it, I'll definitely choose that one! You may be saying, "I would definitely choose gibier meat if I could find it at a restaurant!
At Gault et Millau, we have been introducing more and more chefs who have obtained their own hunting licenses and are actively working with gibier meat.
But why is this "domestic gibier meat" increasing?
And what should we be careful about now that we are eating more and more of it?
In order to learn the correct knowledge, I attended a gibier seminar given by Mr. Norihiko Fujiki, the representative director of the Japan Gibier Promotion Association and owner-chef of Auberge Espoir (Nagano), which specializes in gibier!
Before I tell you about the day's activities, let me first introduce some points to keep in mind about domestic gibier and gibier meat.
◆About Japanese gibier
As you know, gibier is a French word that describes wild game captured for food, or dishes made from them. Gibier is mainly hunted in the fall and winter, and has been enjoyed in Japan from November 15 to February 15.
In recent years, however, deer and wild boars have become available throughout the year due to the strengthening of agricultural damage countermeasures.
As of 2008, the number of deer and wild boars captured for countermeasures alone amounted to approximately 900,000 head. However, only about 100,000 of them were used for meat, or only 11%.
Wild animals such as deer and wild boars are very athletic, and their meat is more robust than that of pork or chicken. Deer, in particular, have low fat content and high nutritional value, containing high levels of iron, zinc, and vitamins.
This is why there is a movement to increase their use as meat and increase the benefits for both agriculture and food sustainability.
However, many people may shy away from "gibier" when they hear the word "gibier," thinking of its safety or its distinctive smell.
What should we pay attention to when handling and eating gibier meat?
There are some precautions to be taken to ensure the safety and enjoyment of wild game.
The first of these is
The meat must be purchased from a facility (slaughterhouse or meat sales business) that has obtained the necessary business license for dismemberment, processing and sales.
For example, it is prohibited by law for hunters to sell directly or purchase directly from hunters. Selling without a permit carries a penalty of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 2 million yen, and furthermore, if a restaurant purchases through this route and food poisoning occurs, the restaurant may be suspended from business.
When it comes to gibier meat, "direct from place of origin" does not necessarily guarantee good taste or safety.
It is important for customers to ask where and how the gibier is purchased if they have any doubts or concerns at a restaurant.
Recently, some chefs have built their own slaughterhouses and handle everything from hunting to meat processing. These are not a problem if the facility meets the facility standards set forth by ordinances, etc., and has applied to the prefectural governor, etc., for a business license.
A list of gibier processing facilities as of June 1, 2021 can be found at this link.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/gibier/attach/pdf/hanbai-6.pdf
This is a list of gibier processing facilities reported by prefectures and does not cover all facilities in Japan.
The ②.
Restaurants should check to make sure that meat received from processing facilities and meat purchased from them does not have any unusual odors, animal hair, or foreign substances attached to it!
When cooking, be sure to cook the meat at the required temperature and time, thoroughly avoiding the risk of infection from raw food, etc. (Detailed temperature discussion will be presented on the day of the workshop!)
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries established the "Domestic Gibier Certification System" in May 2018 "to promote voluntary hygiene management, etc. at slaughterhouses and to provide safer gibier and ensure consumers' confidence in gibier.
◆What is the Domestic Ghibier Certification System?
It is a system to ensure the safety and security of domestic gibier (deer and wild boar) through guidelines and to promote the use of gibier.
The guidelines set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare are objectively checked to ensure that they are being followed at processing facilities, and meat shipped from facilities that have passed the inspection can be sold with a certification mark.
The labels of certified products can be read using QR codes, etc., to track the date and place of capture, the method and person who captured the meat, and even the date of dismemberment, providing information for consumers to consume meat with greater peace of mind.
Currently, there are 24 certified slaughterhouses in Japan.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/gibier/ninsyou.html
Why are there still only 24 locations? You may be wondering why there are still only 24 locations.
In fact, the application itself can be done with little burden due to government subsidies, but one of the requirements, the introduction of a system to achieve traceability, is a hurdle in many cases, and that seems to be the current issue.
From the perspective of the SDGs, gibier has the potential to be seen and eaten more and more in the future.
We hope you will deepen your understanding of how it works and how safe it is.
The next article in the gibier series will be published on this website. Please look forward to it!
Part 2 ⇒ I participated in a gibier workshop! First half
Part 3 ⇒We participated in the gibier workshop! The second half
Reference: Japan Ghibier Promotion Association website
