TOKYO: The Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo has launched a campaign to promote salmon, popular as a sushi topping in Japan, as a meat alternative.

Norway started a blitz to sell raw salmon for sushi to Japan under a national strategy in the 1980s, although eating the fish raw was uncommon in the country then.

Now, large amounts of raw salmon are consumed in Japan. Raw salmon is popular at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants and other eateries and available at many retailers.

With salmon becoming comparable with tuna in popularity, the embassy’s fisheries department hit on the idea of developing demand for salmon for cooking with ingredients and methods for meat dishes, such as steaks, cutlets and ginger-flavored fried pork.

The embassy has begun the promotional campaign, calling salmon the “fourth meat” after beef, pork and chicken.

In the project, the embassy has posted salmon recipes online and distributed flyers at supermarkets nationwide.

It also offers a trip to Norway and Norwegian salmon fillets as prizes for pictures of cooked salmon posted on social media. Winners will be chosen by lottery.

In Japan, more meat is consumed than fish. The department says it hopes that diversifying salmon cooking methods will lead to an increase in Japanese fish consumption.

JIJI Press