Akami generally refers to red-colored meat like beef and fish meat. The typical Akami fish are tuna and bonito. Its fatty and rich taste gives you satisfaction like “This is the sushi”. The meat gets its red color from the high hemoglobin and myoglobin content specific to migratory fish. At a sushi restaurant, when you order Akami, you will be served tuna. The word Akami exists for tuna.
*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.
<Akami－Red flesh fish>
Basho kajiki－Indo pacific sailfish
Binnaga maguro－Longfin white tuna
Hagatuo－Striped bonito
Hirasouda－Frigate tuna
Katsuo－Bonito (Oceanic bonito, Striped tuna)
Kihada maguro－Yellowfin tuna
Kosinaga maguro－ Longtail tuna
Kurokawa kajiki (Kuro kajiki)－Indo pacific Blue marlin
Maguro (Kuromaguro, Honmaguro, Shibi)－Bluefin tuna
Makajiki－Striped marlin
Mebachi maguro－Bigeye tuna
Mekajiki－Swordfish
Minami maguro (Indo maguro)－Southernbluefin tuna
Shirokawa kajiki (Shiro kajiki)－Black marlin
Suma－Wavyback skipjack, Eastern little tuna
We hope this information will be helpful.
Revision date: January 21, 2023