White flesh
White horsehead (Shiroamadai)
【Nigiri sushi: Shiromi】
The white horsehead (Shiroamadai), as its name suggests, has a whitish body and is also known as “Shirakawa” in Tokyo and other areas. It is considered the highest-grade variety among horsehead fish, and a single fish can cost over 15,000 yen. As a result, it is difficult for typical Japanese restaurants to stock it regularly, and it is primarily used in high-end sushi restaurants, kappo-style restaurants, and traditional ryotei.
Compared with red horsehead (Akaamadai) and yellow horsehead (Kiamadai), shiroamadai is characterized by lower moisture content in its flesh, a firm texture, and rich, flavorful fat. It is well suited to sashimi and sushi and is said to have such a strong umami flavor that, even when eaten raw, it tastes as if it had been marinated in kelp. In particular, the fat between the flesh and the skin has a sweet flavor, and the skin itself is also rich in umami, so it is sometimes served as sashimi with the skin still on.
Notable production areas include Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture and Yawatahama in Ehime Prefecture, and the peak season runs from fall through winter. However, catches are extremely low; it is said that even if 1,000 horsehead fish are caught, only about one white horsehead will be among them. Due to its rarity, it is not a fish that even high-end sushi restaurants can consistently stock, making it a special sushi topping that is rarely encountered.
Shiroamadai is suitable not only for sashimi and sushi but also for grilled and steamed dishes. In particular, “Wakasa-yaki”—a dish in which the fish is grilled with its scales intact—is one of its signature preparations, allowing you to savor the aromatic, charred scales and skin along with the plump, tender flesh. It is also used in salt-grilled, Saikyo-yaki (marinated in sweet miso), miso-marinated, sake-steamed, simmered, and dried preparations. “Matsukasa-age”—a deep-fried dish that showcases the fish’s scales—is another representative dish featuring shiroamadai.
【Temperature of vinegared rice (shari) and sushi toppings】
36～38℃/20～24℃
【Related contents】
List of White flesh fish (Shiromi)
(Revision date: September 23, 2026)