Taiwan Taitung Chenggong Bonito Flakes (Skipjack Tuna) (100g/pack)

Bonito flakes, known as "Katsuobushi" or "Hanakatsuo" in Japan, are widely used in households as a food ingredient. They are typically made from tuna or bonito fish. In Taiwan, approximately sixty percent of the bonito flakes available in the market are domestically produced, while the rest are mostly imported from Japan. In fact, the production process of bonito flakes is quite simple, with the main concern lying in the raw materials themselves, as fish species from the Pacific Ocean are more prone to heavy metal contamination. There are various fish species used in making bonito flakes (such as tuna, bonito, and mackerel), offering a higher degree of selectivity without directly impacting the population of a single species.
Different types of bonito flakes are recommended for different cooking methods: Bonito Flakes: Bonito flakes with a soft and chewy texture emit a rich aroma, making them suitable for brewing into delicious soups. Tuna Bonito Flakes: Bonito flakes made from fatty tuna have a fresh and sweet flavor, making them perfect for cold dishes, snacks, or pairing with tofu.
From the Town of Bonito Flakes - The Development of Local Industries in Chenggong Township Chenggong Township in Taitung County is renowned as the "Town of Bonito Flakes" due to its location along the Pacific Ocean, where warm and cold currents converge, resulting in rich aquatic resources. It is the largest fishing port in eastern Taiwan, producing high-quality seafood such as swordfish, bonito, and tuna.
Chenggong Township boasts abundant bonito resources. During the Japanese colonial period, there were more than thirty bonito factories in Chenggong Township, indicating the popularity of bonito flakes in Taiwan during that time. This also fostered a unique fishing culture in the area. However, with the influence of imported bonito flakes, only a few factories remain today.
Returning to his hometown in Chenggong Township, seventh-grade student Bocheng grew up there and began to focus on controlling the freshness of seafood due to his background in frozen food production. He attempted to find more diverse outlets for agricultural and fishery products in his hometown of Chenggong Township, transforming the traditional purchasing model of distributors into a more innovative and localized marketing approach. By extending the processing of fresh ingredients into processed products, the value of the products is enhanced, thereby increasing the average profits of farmers and fishermen.
Special Smoked Shaving Method, Returning to Simplicity and Peace of Mind Bocheng considered that since Chenggong Township is known as the Town of Bonito Flakes, he decided to start with bonito flakes. He visited a local traditional bonito factory and differentiated the bonito flakes based on the characteristics of different fish species. While most commercially available bonito flakes use two to three different fish ingredients to lower product costs, the quality varies, and it's difficult to ascertain the source and safety of the raw materials. Therefore, he chose to establish a fish farm near Sanxiantai outside Chenggong Township and specified a single fish species (tuna or bonito). Here, the fish, rich in oil due to the convergence of warm and cold currents, produces exceptionally flavorful bonito flakes. What's remarkable is that, unlike other smoking methods, Bocheng insists on using lychee wood and longan wood as smoking materials. After washing and deboning the fish, they are steamed and smoked, then sliced and cooled before being frozen for storage. They are shaved into flakes as needed. Throughout the process, no chemical additives are used, making them excellent for cooking, whether for making miso soup, boiling noodles, or adding to hot pot broth.