When it comes to Hamamatsu, most people think of eel—but did you know the region is also known for softshell turtle, with a long and storied history?…

Jenne and her friends go out on location early in the morning.

Ayano Jenne looks very sleepy.

Jenne Okubo then offers hot soup.

“This is actually a soft-shelled turtle soup that is very good for the body.Hamamatsu is actually the birthplace of soft-shelled turtles,” says Jenne Okubo.

When you think of Hamamatsu, you probably think of eel, but in fact, soft-shelled turtle is also famous and has a long history.

On this day, I visited the Hattori Nakamura Tortoise Farm in Magori-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu City, which is a company that has started full-scale farming of soft-shelled turtles.

It is said that eel was also farmed in the past.

Turtle farm’s soft-shelled turtle

Soft-shelled turtle is a high-quality food ingredient that is said to be good for beauty and health as it contains a lot of collagen and amino acids, but it has a long growing period and takes 3 to 4 years to grow before being shipped, making it difficult to maintain a stable supply.

I had the experience of picking up such a soft-shelled turtle.

The two of them changed their clothes and went to the pond where the soft-shelled turtle was.

Using a tool called a poking tool, you poke the surface of the pond to find where the soft-shelled turtles are.

From November to March, they wake the hibernating soft-shelled turtles by pecking them. It’s a pick-up experience that requires a lot of physical strength.

When you show them a sample, they find it very easily and lightly put it in the basket.

At that time, Jenne Ayano gets a chance!

“Why can’t I take it??”

Even if Jenne Ayano puts effort into turning the peck, she can’t get it off easily.

“This is a big one!”

Ayano Jenne stands by Suzuki’s words at Hattori Nakamura Tortoise Farm.

Five minutes later, I picked up a very large soft-shelled turtle.

“This is not a shipping turtle, it’s a parent’s soft-shelled turtle.”

It’s heavy. It was a good exercise and a valuable experience.

You can have it prepared in a variety of ways at restaurants in the Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana area.

In the second half of Jenne Channel, we filmed him having a full course of soft-shelled turtle at a restaurant in the city.

Please take a look.

・This interview destination: Hattori Nakamura Tortoise Farm

・Please check Jenne Channel to see what happened this time.

[High quality ingredients from Hamamatsu] Full of collagen! Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana’s soft-shelled turtles have been around for over 140 years

「https://youtu.be/kqyzlIVYU94」

[Hamamatsu Power Food] Enjoy the whole soft-shelled turtle! At the popular and well-known restaurant Kozaro

「https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz7rdc61MSQ&feature=youtu.be」

*The information in this article is subject to change.