SushiUniversity®

Red salmon (Himemasu)

【Nigiri sushi: Shiromi】
Himemasu is a landlocked variety of red salmon (Benizake) that lives its entire life in freshwater. While the body length of Benizake is 60~90cm, Himemasu only reaches around 20~40cm. Its natural habitat is Lake Akan and Lake Chimikeppu in Hokkaido, but it has also been transplanted to Lake Shikotsu, Lake Towada, Lake Chuzenji, etc. It is also distributed from Kamchatka and Alaska to northern California. It swims in groups in the middle layer of lakes. It is currently being farmed in various places in Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, but it is a fish species that is difficult to raise under the right environmental conditions.

Himemasu is said to be “the most delicious of all trout”. This is not an exaggeration, as it has no unpleasant smell or taste, and combines a refined umami flavor with a refreshing fat content. However, as it is a fish that goes bad quickly, it is necessary to cook it as quickly as possible.

It is mainly used for salt-grilled dishes, sashimi, sushi, meuniere, fried dishes, and smoked dishes. If eaten raw, you need to be careful as there is a risk of parasites. It is a popular sushi topping in Hokkaido, and is in season from June to August when it is caught. The fish from Lake Kuttara and Lake Toya are larger, so they are good for nigiri sushi.