Common name: Slime flounder, Slime sole, Old woman flounder

Japanese name: Nametagarei (ナメタガレイ), Babagarei (婆鰈、母鰈)

Korean common name: 찰가자미

Scientific name: Microstomus achne (Jordan & Starks, 1904)

Nigiri sushi detail: Slime flounder (Nametagarei) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

The formal name of Slime flounder (Nametagarei) is Babagarei. Nametagarei is distributed north of Suruga Bay, throughout the Sea of Japan, Sakhalin, the southern Kuril Islands, the Yellow Sea, the Bohai Sea, and the East China Sea. It inhabits sandy muddy areas in cold water at depths of 50~400m. The body length is 30-45 cm, with the largest reaching 60 cm. Its body surface is covered with a slimy mucus that is slippery to the touch. The season is from fall to the following spring, but flounder holding eggs in early spring is especially prized.

It is a luxury fish in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions, but not in other parts of Japan, where it is often used as an ingredient in paste products such as Chikuwa.

It is a northern fish that is caught throughout the year in almost all areas of Hokkaido. Compared to other flounder, it is characterized by its thick meat, fine fiber, and soft flesh. For a white fish, it contains more protein than fat, and its skin, such as Engawa, contains collagen, which is good for the skin, making it a very healthy fish.

---

Share this article