Shirako is the name given to the testes of fish when they are used as foodstuffs. Shirako (白子) is the testis of the male fish, while the ovary and fish roe of the female fish are called Mako (真子).
The appearance of Red seabream (Madai) shirako
Among them, Blackhead seabream (Kurodai), Pufferfish (Fugu), Mackerel (Saba), Sweetfish (Ayu), and Red seabream (Tai) are considered delicious and have high commercial value and are called the five major shirako. Recently, Pacific cod (Madara) and Chum salmon (Sake) have been added to the list, making seven major shirako.
It can be prepared as tofu, deep fried, steak, grilled, tempura, salted fish, surinagashi (A dish in which seafood is ground and added to soup stock), nigiri sushi, boiled and served with ponzu soy sauce, or grinded and added to sake to make shirako sake.
The appearance of Shirakoponzu (called Tachipon in Hokkaido)
Pacific cod (Madara) shirako is called Tachi in Hokkaido (Kiku in Iwate and Kumoko in Kyoto), and Matachi in particular is known as a premium product. Matachi is rich in nutrients, including protein, vitamins D, E, B1, and B2, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also low in calories and high in protein, making it a good choice for health care. Shirakoponzu (called Tachipon in Hokkaido), a dish that can only be enjoyed at the freshest Shirako, is served with ponzu vinegar as a side dish with sake.
Its preparation is simply a matter of rinsing raw shirako with coarse salt and quickly soaking it in boiling water. When made into a gunkan-maki, the creamy flavor of fresh shirako without any odor, the crispy crunch of nori seaweed, and the combination of grated daikon and chili and green onion condiments are a delightful combination. This is served not only at high-end sushi restaurants, but also at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.
The appearance of raw torafugu shirako
On the other hand, Torafugu shirako is said to be the most precious part of the high-end torafugu because only a limited amount of shirako can be obtained from one fish, and it is not always available. Torafugu shirako is also called the jewel of the sea, with a creamy taste and high nutritional value. It is most in season from January to March, before the spawning season, and has a flavor so rich that it is hard to put into words.
The appearance of Torafugu shirako sushi
The way to cook it is simply to grill it until the outer skin is cooked to the point that it is not too tough. Since shirako is tender inside, it is served on a plate with sushi rice and shirako on top. Some sushi chefs also make it into a gunkan-maki. In any case, shirako goes well with sushi rice. The shirako served at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants is not Torafugu, but rather more reasonably priced shirako such as purple puffer, Goma globefish, or Shousai puffer, but the rich flavor is the same.
It is not available at any time of the year and only a few sushi restaurants can offer it. If you are a big fan of foie gras or something similar, definitely try it. As you know, some parts of pufferfish are poisonous, so it is recommended to eat it at a restaurant specializing in pufferfish or a sushi restaurant.
Salmon is by far the most popular topping at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.
If you ask people around the world what their favorite fish is, the answer is sure to be salmon. Its flesh is tender and fatty, with few small bones, and its color is appetizing. But we don’t think most people around the world pay much attention to the type of salmon they eat. This is not surprising, since people do not have the habit of eating many kinds of fish in their daily lives. In Japan, it is common for the species offered to change with the seasons, even among fish of the same family. We sometimes sense that the season has changed based on the change in fish species. For example, seeing a Salmon (Chum, Keta, or Dog salmon) moving up the river, one senses that it is autumn.
This article explores salmon, for which we were able to confirm statistical data. Also, see below for the differences between trout and salmon. Trout vs. Salmon: What’s the Difference?
Global demand for salmons is strong and production is growing rapidly. Currently, the global production of salmon is over 5 million tons/year. Of this, more than 4 million tons are farmed, of which roughly 3 million tons are Atlantic salmon and 1 million tons are Rainbow trout. The salmon that people around the world say they love are Atlantic salmon and Rainbow trout.
Atlantic salmon is produced in Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Canada, the United States, Australia, and Chile. Trout salmon (Rainbow trout) is produced in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, England, Ireland, Turkey, and Chile.
Although production is low, King salmon, Silver salmon, Cherry salmon, and Brown trout are also commercially farmed. King salmon is a very delicate fish and can only be found in areas with clean water. For this reason, it is difficult to farm, and King salmon accounts for less than 1% of all salmon farmed in the world. New Zealand, Canada, and Chile are the only countries that have succeeded in commercial farming of King salmon. In New Zealand, which is a rare example from a global perspective, no antibiotics are given to the fish. Silver salmon is farmed in Peru, Japan, and other countries, with a yearly production of over 20 tons. It is used as a standard side dish for bento (lunch box) in Japan. Cherry salmon is farmed only in Japan and does not reach 30 tons/year. Masu zushi, a famous specialty of Toyama Prefecture, is made from cherry salmon.
Salmon mainly caught in Japan are Chum salmon (Japanese name: Sake, Akizake, Shirozake), Pink salmon (Japanese name: Karafuto-masu), King salmon (Japanese name: Masunosuke), Cherry salmon (Japanese name: Sakura-masu).
The main production areas are Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Niigata. Red salmon (Japanese name: Benizake) and silver salmon (Japanese name: Ginzake) are rarely caught only in Hokkaido. The catch of chum salmon, which used to be over 100,000 tons/year, has been drastically reduced to less than 50,000 tons/year. On the other hand, Alaska and Russia have recorded catches of over 400,000 tons/year and can be said to have good catches.
However, whether it is farmed or natural salmon is not even a subject of debate, except among some chefs and Japanese. In our opinion, the decision of whether to use farmed or wild should be based on the type of dish to be cooked.
From here, we get down to business.
It has long been said that pink salmon, the most abundant salmon caught in Japan, is not suitable for nigiri sushi. This is not true. It is simply because salmon in good condition was difficult to obtain in the past due to the lack of a well-developed distribution system. As proof of this, migratory pink salmon is highly valued for its rich flavor and fat. On the other hand, pink salmon that have gathered to spawn have lost their fat and are tasteless. This is a common story for all salmon.
In Japan, King salmon, Cherry salmon, farmed Atlantic salmon and Rainbow trout, and Chum salmon, which was born in Russian rivers and migrates along the Hokkaido coast, are used as sushi toppings (ingredients). There was a time around 1980 when sushi chefs used to serve red salmon, which he named Beni-toro, but there is no sign of it now. And we rarely hear of Chum salmon returning to the river where it was born in the fall to be made into Nigiri sushi. Worldwide, only a few countries, such as Russia, Canada, and Alaska in the United States, use wild pink salmon, silver salmon, and red salmon as Nigiri sushi.
We can say with certainty that Edomae Sushi restaurants do not use any salmon. As time goes by, some restaurants have begun to offer King salmon, Chum salmon, Cherry salmon, Biwa trout, and other rare sushi toppings as their main selling point, but only a few of them do so.
Chum salmon originally return to Japan in the fall, but those migrating off the coast of Japan out of season are called Keiji, Tokishirazu, and Mejika to distinguish them. The mother river is in Russia. Chum salmon originally return to Japan in the fall, but those migrating off the coast of Japan out of season are called Keiji, Tokishirazu, and Mejika to distinguish them. These are rarely found in some high-end sushi restaurants, as they have a fresh flavor and fat that is ideal for nigiri sushi. Of course, they are also delicious in other dishes. However, it should be frozen once to kill Anisakis and other fish before making sushi. This is one of the reasons why salmon has been avoided as a sushi topping.
The appearance of salmon fillet
On the other hand, Atlantic salmon and Rainbow trout (known as Salmon trout or Trout salmon) are farmed at sea, exported without ever being frozen, and used for sushi at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants. The fish is already processed into fillets, so the chef only needs to remove the skin.
As a side note, salmon farming is said to have less environmental impact than other fish species. And from the perspective of the SDGs, we are moving from sea farming to land-based aquaculture. In addition, farmed salmons are being actively improved and blended with different species.
Now you may know what kind of salmons you are eating. For your reference.
Sushi continues to spread throughout the world. Nowadays, not only sushi rolls but also Nigiri sushi can be eaten all over the world. But if you have the opportunity to come to Tokyo, we want you to go home with sushi toppings that you can only eat in Tokyo. Not seafood exported from your country, but sushi made from natural seafood caught in the seas around Japan.
First of all, what kind of sushi do you think of when you hear the word “Nigiri sushi”? Most people think of sushi with Hamachi or Salmon on top of vinegared rice.
This is correct if you only look at the appearance. However, from the essence of Nigiri sushi, it is clearly wrong. In order to make your understanding perfect, we dare to confuse you, but we would like to understand the term “Edomae sushi” as well.
What is Edomae sushi?
Nigiri sushi and Nigiri are words you may have heard before. However, “Edomae sushi” is a word you may not be familiar with, so it is important to understand exactly what it is.
It is quite simple.
Edomae sushi consists of Nigiri sushi and Nori maki. Nigiri sushi originated in Edo (now Tokyo) about 200 years ago, while Nori maki is said to have originated 50 years earlier. And Edomae sushi has remained almost in its original form to the present day. We will skip the explanation of Nori maki here, so you can just assume that “Edomae sushi” and “Nigiri sushi” refer to the same thing.
Now let’s dig deeper into the story of Nigiri sushi. You have probably seen Nigiri sushi and Nori maki before. If you do not like fish and nori, you have probably eaten them.
However, many people, including the Japanese, misunderstand Nigiri sushi.
They think that Nigiri sushi is sushi with sashimi such as salmon on top of vinegared rice. Many cookbooks and other books say this as well, so it is no wonder they understand it incorrectly.
To correct here, nigiri sushi consists of prepared fillets on a bed of vinegared rice. Preparation means sprinkling salt on the seafood, soaking it in vinegar or soy sauce, boiling it, simmering it, etc. This preparation is called Edomae shigoto (Edo-style preparation) in Edomae sushi restaurants. To confirm, sashimi is unheated seafood or other ingredients cut into small pieces.
Why do they dare to prepare super-fresh seafood?
The reason is said to be that in the Edo period, there was no such thing as a refrigerator, and people had to devise ways to keep seafood from spoiling even a little. Then it seems that it is not necessary now. However, this preparation process helps to make seafood more delicious (to give an example, inosinic acid is produced, which, combined with the glutamic acid and other substances that seafood originally contains, produces a synergistic effect of umami). This is why they still use prepared seafood today.
On the other hand, salmon nigiri sushi found overseas uses sashimi. Even in Japan, in regions where fresh seafood is available, sashimi is used. This is because the priority is not the synergy of umami, but rather the texture and security of freshness. And there is no way to know that this is clearly different from Edomae sushi (Nigiri sushi) on the main road.
If you make nigiri sushi with sashimi, you don’t have to be a sushi chef to do it. In fact, to put it bluntly, anyone can do it. There is an experience to make Nigiri sushi for tourists, but you understood that this is only to make Nigiri sushi in appearance, right? And to learn Edomae shigoto (Edo-style preparation), the sushi chefs need a long period of training.
Let’s get to the point here.
Here are 8 sushi toppings you should try in Tokyo. We divided it into 4 so that you can see the opportunity to eat.
The first is the typical sushi toppings at Edomae sushi. It is a sushi topping that can be eaten regardless of the season (of course, there is a season), but it shows the characteristics of the sushi restaurant. The boiled Kuruma ebi, with its beautiful red color, aroma of the sea, and complex umami, is a must-try. Next is not eel but Anago (Japanese conger). The soft- simmered anago instantly falls apart in your mouth, spreading the ummai of the fish, and the restaurant’s unique sauce, called Nitsume, is not to be missed.
Second, sushi toppings are only available at certain times of the year. The season is short, so even if you want to eat it, you will have to wait until the next year when the season is over. For example, don’t you think you can eat Bluefin tuna all the time? The season for fresh bluefin is from around September to early January. This is the time when all parts of the fish are at their best. Shinko, the juvenile kohada, can cost as much as $2,000 per kilogram at the beginning of the season, and sushi chefs are forced to pay a premium for this fish because sushi lovers compete to be the first to eat it. The taste is not as good as kohada, but the aroma may be a cut above.
Chum salmon is not eaten raw in Japan. This is because of problems such as anisakis. Even so, you should definitely try Keiji (young Chum salmon) nigiri, which has a completely different quality of fat. It is very rare and costs more than US$1000 per fish. Then there is Hoshigarei, the king of flounder. The moderate fat and fresh aroma will fascinate you. Next, the Red sea urchin is caught in Kyushu and other parts of Japan. Sea urchin has a rather complex flavor. However, red sea urchin has a refreshing aftertaste. It is a mysterious sushi material.
The fourth is the sushi items that you should eat without grumbling. You should be happy to eat these items in season. Ezobafununi, caught in Hokkaido during the summer, is exceptional. Many people say they can’t eat sea urchin, but if you eat this, you’ll become a sea urchin lover. And then there is Akagai (Ark shell). Many shellfish enjoy the delicate balance of sweetness and bitterness, but Ark shell is a great ingredient to enjoy the scent of the sea.
If you want to eat Hamachi or Salmon, which you often eat as Nigiri sushi, you have to go to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Buri, which is farmed, is called Hamachi. Salmon is also mostly farmed, with Norway and Chile being the world’s leading producers. There is no point in going all the way to Tokyo to eat them.
Finally, sushi chefs tend to avoid farmed fish. And the same goes for frozen fish. Some fish can only be used for Nigiri sushi if they are live. The chef cooks fish deliciously, but sushi chef is only trying to bring out the true flavor of the fish. In other words, there is no compromise in the selection of seafood. If the fish is too expensive, sushi chefs may not buy it. And sometimes they have to buy it even if it is too expensive. For your information.
As of April 2020, the Toyosu market will have 481 seafood wholesalers.
As of April 2020, the Toyosu market will have 481 seafood wholesalers, a decrease of 55 from two years ago, when the old Tsukiji market was still in operation. More specifically, it is down about 30% from 664 in 2014. As of June 2021, the demand for seafood from restaurants and other businesses has decreased significantly due to the new coronavirus, and the business conditions are worrisome. In case you are wondering, there were about 1,600 middle wholesalers in the Tsukiji market at its peak.
Nevertheless, the reason there are so many of them and they are all doing business in their own way is because they are all specialty stores. There are many types of seafood, such as tuna, fresh fish, shrimp, shellfish, and dried fish, which require specialization. Recently, seafood wholesalers have begun to offer other specialties in order to expand the scale of their business. In the old days, however, there were “Akamono-ya” (aka means “red” and mono means “fish”) that dealt only with tai, “Jomonoshi” (jo means “good quality”) for ryotei, “Kajiki-ya” for Kajiki (Marlin), and so on, all of which were divided into many different categories. Incidentally, “ya” is added after a product to indicate the store or occupation that handles that product.
“Komono-ya” refers to restaurants that specialize in sushi items and tempura ingredients. Sushi items are often small, such as Kohada, Kisu, Anago, Akagai, and Tako. That is why it is called Komono-ya. If there are small items, there are also big ones. Oomono-ya (Oo means Big) deals in tunas. Tuna is a big fish, and Oomono-ya is the name of the seafood wholesalers because they deal in tunas. There are about 200 tuna wholesalers in Toyosu, but only a few wholesalers sell only fresh bluefin tuna caught in the waters around Japan throughout the year. Fujita-suisan (藤田水産), which deals with Sukiyabashi Jiro, Hicho (樋長), which deals with Nishiazabu-Taku, Yamayuki (やま幸), which deals with Harutake, and Ishiji (石司), which deals with Takaichi-no-sushi are the most famous. Almost all Michelin and Gault & Millau-rated sushi restaurants purchase their raw tuna from these four wholesalers.
In summary, these words should be understood only by those who are related to the Toyosu market, and there is no need for pretentious names. In fact, these words are very clear.
John Dory (Matoudai) is benthopelagic coastal fish, found on the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, the coasts of Japan, and on the coasts of Europe.
What is John dory (Matoudai)?
John dory (Matoudai) is distributed south of Honshu, in the East China Sea, Indian Ocean, western Pacific, and western Atlantic. It is found in sandy mud at depths of about 100 m, either alone or in small groups. The body is oval, with a marked lateral flattening. It has a large blackish-brown circular crest with a white border in the center of its body. John dory is called “Saint Peter‘s fish” in Western countries and seems to be revered by Catholics. Its scientific name is Zeus faber Linnaeus,1758.
What does John dory (Matoudai) sushi taste like?
The flesh of John dory (Matoudai) is light and mild, but lacking in flavor, so it is eaten with a variety of flavors. It is very tasty as a poire or meuniere, as it goes well with butter. In France, it is very popular as a standard meuniere along with sole.
It is characterized by its strong umami taste, and its liver is known to be very tasty. Sashimi is served with liver soy sauce, and Nigiri may be served with Kobujime.
Since its season is from fall to winter, it covers the same period as filefish. In Tokyo, there is also farmed filefish, and the sushi chef will use the filefish that is distributed in a considerable amount. Sushi restaurants that deal directly with fishing ports on the Sea of Japan side seem to get it by chance, but you almost never see it at sushi restaurants in Tokyo.
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) lives in rocks close to the shore and look for seaweed to eat. It creates an unique, delicious flavor come with a strong sea smell and it taste out a little bit firm with slightly sweet.
What is Largescale blackfish (Mejina)?
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) is distributed throughout Japan south of southern Hokkaido, Taiwan, and the East China Sea. Its bodies are oval and flattened, and its body color is blackish purple. It is diurnal and forms schools, moving to deeper waters offshore as it grows.
It can grow up to 60 cm in length, but most of those on the market are about 40 cm in length. In summer, it feeds on animal food such as small shrimps, and in winter, it prefers vegetable food such as seaweed and nori, which means that the season is winter, as the fish’s smell of the sea disappears and it becomes fatty during the winter.
The name of this species in the Kansai region is “Gure,” and it is a popular rock-fishing target. Its scientific name is Girella punctata Gray, 1835.
What does Largescale blackfish (Mejina) sushi taste like?
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) is mildly oily and a delicious white meat fish. There is a layer of umami under the skin so we’d advise to serve seared or yubiki with the skin-on.
Largescale blackfish (Mejina) looks like red seabream (Tai), but are related to Japanese sea bass (Suzuki). The Kuromejina (Girella leonina (Richardson,1846)) and Okinamejina (Girella mezina Jordan & Starks, 1907) are members of the Mejina family, but the Mejina has the best taste.
It can be served as sashimi, grilled, simmered, or even cooked in a pot. It is relatively easy to cook because it is well suited to cooking methods that use oil. If the gall bladder is accidentally broken, a strong odor can be passed around in the air, which can make it smell even worse. Therefore, it is important to avoid damaging the internal organs when cooking it.
It is inexpensive, but because it is not caught in large numbers, it is not always available at sushi restaurants. Its flesh is a beautiful pale pink color, which is hard to imagine from the black body surface.
In winter, it has a stronger taste than red seabream, with the fat coming in closer to the mouth and a stronger umami. In the summer, it can have a slightly peculiar aroma, so it is best to yubiki (parboil) or broil the fish before serving it as nigiri sushi.
The slender sprat is valued as food in Japan, where it is known as kibinago. These can be eaten raw, as sashimi, or cooked, as whitebait.
What is Slender sprat (Kibinago)?
Slender sprat (Kibinago) is distributed south of central Honshu, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. They are found in large schools on the surface from the coast facing the open sea to offshore. Its body length is 8~10 cm. It has an elongated body shape like Japanese anchovy at first glance, and is yellowish-white overall, with a bluish back and one bright silvery-white longitudinal stripe on the body. The season is summer. In the Satsuma region of Kyushu, it is highly prized as a local dish, and sashimi, arranged in the shape of chrysanthemum flowers, is famous. In Kagoshima, it is often served with vinegared miso. The scientific name is Spratelloides gracilis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846).
What does Slender sprat (Kibinago) sushi taste like?
Several fillets of kibinago are placed on top of the shari, and a shiso leaf is placed between the shari and the fish. A dab of grated ginger and some nikiri shoyu is then applied.
Slender sprat (Kibinago) cannot adapt to environmental changes. They need clean underwater to survive. Even in well-equipped aquariums, there are no examples of successful long-term breeding. In addition, their freshness deteriorates very quickly after death, so in the past, only people at fishing ports were able to eat them as sashimi.
When made into nigiri sushi, the fish is eaten with several pieces of hand-opened neta (topping). It is rich in flavor and uses scallions and ginger as condiments. This nigiri sushi should be paired with Satsuma shochu, a local specialty.
Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) is distributed north of Toyama Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side, north of Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific side, east coast of the Korean Peninsula, and Peter the Great Gulf. It inhabits shallow muddy areas at depths of about 150 meters. Body color is light blackish brown, and length reaches 40 cm.
The head is triangular in shape, and the body surface is angular, covered with spiny bony plates, and nearly octagonal in cross-section. It has a beard like a catfish. The male’s fins are exceptionally large, hence the name Tokubire (Toku means special and bire means fin), while sushi chefs call it Hakkaku (Hakkaku means octagonal) because of the shape of its cross-section. The season is around from December to February. The scientific name is Podothecus sachi (Jordan & Snyder, 1901).
What does Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) sushi taste like?
Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) is a chewy white fish with the perfect amount of sweet fat and rich flavor.
Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku) is not well-known south of the Tohoku region, but it is popular as sushi material at sushi restaurants in Hokkaido. Contrary to its appearance, it is a fatty white fish with a crunchy texture and a rich flavor and sweetness of fat that spreads in the mouth. Usually the white meat is clear, but its flesh is murky white due to the presence of lots of fat. Also, males are larger and have more fat.
However, because of this shape, the yield rate is quite low. Because there are so few of them in Hokkaido, even many Hokkaido residents know of them but have never eaten them, so they are almost never available at sushi restaurants in Tokyo.
You can find Hakkaku at Izakaya because it can be prepared any way you like: “salt-grilled,” “dried overnight,” or “deep-fried.”
Black scraper is a filefish with high market value but the standing stock has been decreased in the past years due to the overexploiting and environmental fluctuations.
What is Black scraper (Umazurahagi)?
Black scraper (Umazurahagi) is distributed in the Sea of Japan from Hokkaido to Kyushu, the Pacific Ocean, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea from the Korean Peninsula to the coast of China. It is a familiar fish caught throughout Japan. Umazurahagi are called nagahagi (naga means long) because they are longer than Filefish (Kawahagi).
They are abundant at depths of around 10m, slightly offshore from Filefish. When young, around 10 cm in length, they migrate in schools, but as adults, they are often found alone. Adults gather in coastal areas to spawn from around May to July and dive to deeper water around November.
They are omnivores, feeding on benthic organisms such as seaweeds, crustaceans, polychaetes, and even jellyfish. Its scientific name is Thamnaconus modestus (Gunther,1877).
What does Black scraper (Umazurahagi) sushi taste like?
Black scraper (Umazurahagi)’s white flesh has an elegant sweetness and a crunchy, pufferfish-like texture.
Black scraper (Umazurahagi) has a blurry appearance and does not look tasty, but once peeled, it reveals a clear white flesh similar to that of pufferfish.
The price of Umazurahagi is completely different between those caught in large quantities by bottom trawling fishing and those caught by pole and line fishing. Therefore, Ikejime or live fish are used for sushi toppings.
The liver, with its rich flavor, can be raw or seared and used in nigiri sushi to make an exceptional dish. Although it is looked down upon compared to Filefish and pufferfish, it is relatively affordable and highly regarded as a topping, and is not a substitute for Filefish at all.
However, the quantity of fish received at the Toyosu market and other markets is not stable. From that point of view, few restaurants offer nigiri sushi.
Sappa (Japanese scaled sardine) and kohada (Gizzard shad) are similar, but the dorsal fins of the sappa are not thread-like and there is no black dotted line on the body side.
What is Japanese scaled sardine (Mamakari)?
Japanese scaled sardine (Mamakari) is distributed south of Hokkaido, the Yellow Sea, and Taiwan. It inhabits shallow sandy muddy areas near the mouths of estuaries in inner bays. Its standard Japanese name is Sappa, and its length reaches 15 cm. Juvenile fish can be caught in large numbers in small fixed nets, but It has little market value and are treated as small fish.
The morphology and ecology of this species are similar to that of the Gizzard shad (Konoshiro) throughout the egg, juvenile, and young stages, but the adult fish clearly differ in body color and dorsal fin shape. In Japanese scaled sardine, the blue on the dorsal side and the white on the ventral side are clearly separated and vivid. Its scientific name is Sardinella zunasi (Bleeker, 1854).
What does Japanese scaled sardine (Mamakari) sushi taste like?
Mamakari nigiri sushi is an indispensable dish for festivals and family celebrations, and is a representative dish of the special days in Okayama.
In Okayama, Japanese scaled sardine, a close relative of gizzard shad, is called Mamakari and is highly prized. It is in season from fall to winter and is the finest Mamakari with fine texture and fat.
Fresh Mamakari nigiri sushi, lightly vinegared, has a unique Okayama flavor that is different from that of Gizzard shad (Kohada). One thing to note is that, as with other herring species, there are many small bones, so it is easier to eat them if they are pickled in vinegar. It can be said that it is a dish that refreshes the palate and whets the appetite.
Small marbled rockfish (Kasago) are best deep-fried or simmered, while good-sized ones are also tasty as sashimi.
What is Marbled rockfish (Kasago)?
Marbled rockfish (Kasago) can be found anywhere along the coast from southern Hokkaido to the East China Sea. It lives in the shadows of reefs and blocks from the coast to depths of about 60m to 200m. A voracious carnivorous fish, it preys on crustaceans such as small shrimps, polychaetes such as ragworm, and small fish such as gobies.
Body color varies from dark brown, reddish, to blackish, and there is a great deal of variation depending on the environment in which they live. Those that inhabit deeper water are said to be redder, while those that inhabit shallower water are said to be darker. Another characteristic of this species is the irregular white patches on its back side.
Along with Mebaru and Ainame, it is a representative of rockfish (It is a fish that does not migrate far and has a small habitat). It is about 30 cm long. Its scientific name is Sebastiscus marmoratus (Cuvier, 1829).
Some species of marbled rockfish have poison lines on their pectoral fins and dorsal fins, so care should be taken when cooking them. Also, since they have many spines all over their body, when grabbing a live fish, put your thumb in their mouth and grasp their lower jaw.
It is generally considered a winter fish, but the season is spring. It is most fatty from January to April, and the black ones that inhabit the seashore are said to be tastier than the reddish marbled rockfish that inhabit offshore waters. It can be caught in all regions of the Japanese archipelago, which stretches from north to south, a light white fish that is easy to remove from the bone, so it is delicious regardless of the season. The larger ones are often made into sashimi or sushi, while the smaller ones are often eaten as boiled fish.
What is Marbled rockfish (Kasago) sushi taste like?
Marbled rockfish (Kasago) is a low-yield fish and is not commonly found in sushi restaurants.
Marbled rockfish (Kasago) is treated as a high-end fish in the Toyosu market, but the supply is not consistent. In addition, its large head and low yield make it rare for restaurants to serve nigiri sushi and sashimi.
The elegant flavor of nigiri sushi and sashimi is, to put it mildly, unsatisfying. The best way to eat nigiri is to broil the skin and let the aroma come out. This will dissolve the gelatinous material under the skin, and the sweetness and umami of the fat can be felt gradually. It is also good to eat it with citrus fruits such as sudachi and salt.
Rockfish (Mebaru) is one of the primary fish found in the coastal waters of Japan. Characterized by their large bulged eyes, rockfish are highly prized species. There are a variety of types of rockfish (mebaru) in Japan.
What is Rockfish (Mebaru)?
Rockfish (Mebaru) are distributed over a relatively wide area from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu, the Korean Peninsula, and elsewhere. They inhabit rocky reefs at depths of 50 to 150 meters. The length of the fish is 20-25 cm.
The fish is caught by pole-and-line and longline fishing starting around March, and becomes fat and oily by April when the water temperature begins to rise. Anglers are most likely to catch Kuro-mebaru. They are mainly eaten simmered or grilled.
However, the fish is poisonous in its dorsal fin, so it is important to be very careful when handling it. Because it is a very small amount of poison, it is a cause that is neglected, but there are times when serious symptoms appear.
What does Goldeye rockfish (Usumebaru) sushi taste like?
Sushi chefs use a species called Goldeye rockfish (Usumebaru), which is found in deeper waters offshore. The maximum length of the fish is 35 cm. The main production areas are Aomori and Yamagata prefectures.
Goldeye rockfish is a member of the scorpionfish family, but it is less fishy than scorpionfish and has a very light flavor with firm flesh. It has little fat and a light aftertaste, making it a good pairing with sushi rice. When served as nigiri sushi, it is also good to use Kobujime. Although the market availability is stable, it is traded at a high price.
Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) is large flat fish inhabiting cold sea water basins in the northern Pacific off Japan. It is suitable for aquaculture and resource enhancement in Hokkaido due to its high commercial value and growth rate at low temperatures.
What is Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei)?
Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) is distributed along the Pacific coast north of Ibaraki Prefecture and in the Sea of Japan north of Toyama Prefecture, the southern Sea of Okhotsk, and the Kurile Islands. It inhabits sandy muddy areas at depths of up to 200 m, feeding mainly on crustaceans and small fishes. The maximum length of the body is 80 cm.
It is similar in appearance to the closely related Spotted halibut, but the Barfin flounder has banded black spots on its fins, while the Spotted halibut has circular ones. The name ” Matsukawagarei ” is said to come from its scales, which are hard and resemble the epidermis of a pine tree. Barfin flounder is now very rare in the wild, and most of the fish caught are released juveniles. This is based on the habit of flounder species to remain in the waters where they are released. The main production areas are Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate prefectures, and the season is winter. The scientific name isVerasper moseri Jordan & Gilbert, 1898.
What does Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) sushi taste like?
The standard Japanese name is Matsukawa, not Matsukawagarei.
Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) tastes better in larger sizes, and the males are tastier than the females. Its flesh is firm, and when fresh, it tastes better when thinly sliced. The umami increases after about two days of maturing, as is the case with other flounders.
Barfin flounder, along with spotted halibut, is a high-end fish, and if asked which is more delicious, barfin flounder or spotted halibut, most people would probably say spotted halibut. However, the reason may be that they are not familiar with Barfin flounder. As proof of this, you will almost never see it at high-end sushi restaurants in Tokyo, but it is not that uncommon at high-end restaurants in Sapporo.
Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) is a very tasty fish. In the Kansai region, it is such a high-class fish that it is served at Kyoto’s top-class ryotei restaurants, and if fresh, sashimi is said to be superb.
What is Silver pomfret (Managatsuo)?
Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) is distributed in a wide range of waters from Hokkaido to the southern Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, the Seto Inland Sea, the Ariake Sea and other seas around Japan to the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
They feed on crustaceans such as jellyfish and krill as well as plankton while migrating in schools to sandy muddy bottoms on continental shelves at depths of around 200 m or in the surface layer not far from the coast.
The name “Managatsuo” might lead you to think that it is a member of the Katsuo family, but it is not at all, it is a member of the Ibdai family. Its name comes from the fact that Katsuo could not be caught in the Seto Inland Sea, so this species was called Katsuo. So, it is said that the name was derived from “mane katsuo,” which imitated katsuo.
It is also said that there is no salmon in the Kansai region and no Managatsuo in the Kanto region. In the Kanto region, it is a rare fish, but in the Chubu region and west, especially in the Kansai region, it is a high-class fish that is often used in ryotei and kappo restaurants. It is also used in French and Chinese cuisine, so it is familiar to a wide variety of chefs.
What does Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) sushi taste like?
The royal road to eat in sashimi is the Silver pomfret (Managatsuo), the broiled only the skin using a burner, while confining the umami in the subcutaneous fat, also the fragrant flavor of the broiled skin.
Silver pomfret (Managatsuo) has a shiny body that looks like it has been stamped with silver foil, and the sashimi is superb, but this is only in Kansai where fresh fish is available.
The flesh is shiromi, soft and smooth, with little fat and a light flavor. Not only sashimi, but saikyo-zuke (fish pickled in sweet Kyoto-style miso) is also an excellent dish. Also, it can be frozen and preserved while it is still fresh, as it does not lose its flavor when frozen compared to other fish.
Silver pomfret has 70.8 grams of water per 100 grams, more than Japanese spanish mackerel (Sawara), a typical watery fish. This is a fish that, in the past, would not be suitable for nigiri sushi at all. Besides, fresh ones are difficult to obtain in the Kanto region, so sushi topping is almost never offered at Edomae sushi restaurants. But when it is made into shiojime and the moisture is controlled, it is a first-class sushi topping.
Recently, young sushi chefs in Tokyo have discovered its deliciousness and have begun to make it. This sushi topping goes well with shari made with red vinegar, which contains a lot of amino acids. In any case, sushi topping is rare, so if you can find it, you should definitely try it.
Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari) was not often on the dinner table as a small fish in the past, but it seems that modern tastes have gradually caught up with it because of its lightness and abundant fat content characteristic of white fish.
What is Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari)?
Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari) is distributed south of Sagami Bay to the East China Sea. They live in groups on continental shelf slopes at depths of 200 to 600 meters. Mehikari (standard Japanese name is Aome-eso) with large, striking green eyes are about 20 cm long. Its body is elongated and cylindrical, and it has an issuer around its anus, where bacteria living symbiotically inside emit light. The season is winter, and the main production areas are Fukushima, Shizuoka, Miyazaki and Aichi prefectures.
What does Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari) sushi taste like?
Bigeyed greeneye (Mehikari), despite its appearance, is a delicious fish with light white flesh and a fluffy texture. However, since it is caught by bottom trawl fishing, it is only available for sashimi within two days of being caught, and the amount of fresh fish in distribution is rather small. Therefore, it is difficult to eat nigiri sushi outside of the area where it is caught. The sushi topping is a specialty of Sushi Itou in Iwaki City.
