Common name: Dusky sole, Ricecake sole

Japanese name: Asabagarei (浅羽鰈、浅場鰈)

Korean common name: 술봉가자미

Scientific name: Lepidopsetta mochigarei Snyder, 1911

Nigiri sushi detail: Dusky sole (Asabagarei) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Dusky sole (Asabagarei) is distributed along the Pacific coast north of Fukushima Prefecture, the Sea of Japan coast north of Fukui Prefecture, Hokkaido, the Korean Peninsula, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Kuril Islands. It inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms at depths of 50~100m. The body color is brown or dark brown on the eyed side, and white on the eyeless side. Its body length is about 40 cm.

Northern rock sole (Shumushugarei) is found in colder regions further north than Asabagarei and is often caught in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. Because it looks and tastes very similar to Asabagarei, it is widely distributed in Japan as American Asabagarei. It is best known as frozen flounder fillets with roe. It is cheaper than Japanese Asabagarei and imported in large quantities, which has increased its presence in recent years.

Asabagarei has a light flavor and is not peculiar, so it tastes best when cooked with seasoning. Asabagarei with roe before spawning is especially tasty and suitable for boiling, salted and grilled, deep-fried, and meuniere.