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 (Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw, 1792))
Binnaga maguro－Albacore (Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788))
Gasutoro－Butterfly kingfish (Gasterochisma melampus Richardson,1845)
Hagatuo－Striped bonito (Sarda orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel, 1844))
Hirasouda－Frigate tuna (Auxis thazard thazard (Lacepède, 1800))
Hosogatsuo (Arotsunasu)－Slender tuna (Allothunnus fallaii Serventy, 1948)
Iso maguro－Dogtooth tuna, Scaleless tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor (Rüppell, 1838))
Katsuo－Bonito (Oceanic bonito, Striped tuna)
Kihada maguro－Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788))
Kosinaga maguro－ Longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol (Bleeker, 1851）)
Kurokawa kajiki (Kuro kajiki)－Indo pacific Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans Lacepède, 1802)
Maguro (Kuromaguro, Honmaguro, Shibi)－Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel,1844))
Makajiki－Striped marlin (Kajikia audax (Philippi, 1887))
Mebachi maguro－Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839))
Mejimaguro (Meji)－Young bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel,1844))
Mekajiki－Swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758)
Minami maguro (Indo maguro)－Southernbluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872))
Shirokawa kajiki (Shiro kajiki)－Black marlin (Istiompax indica (Cuvier, 1832))
Suma (Yaito-gatsuo)－Wavyback skipjack, Eastern little tuna (Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849))
We hope this information will be helpful.
Revision date: April 15, 2023
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