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 main types of shirako served at sushi restaurants are Pacific cod (Madara) and Japanese pufferfish (Torafugu).

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.

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 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.

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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.

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Revision date: June 15, 2023

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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?

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.

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Revision date: June 8, 2023

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What is Sailfin poacher (Hakkaku)?

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 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.”

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Revision date: June 7, 2023

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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?

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.

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Revision date: June 5, 2023

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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 is Verasper moseri Jordan & Gilbert, 1898.

What does Barfin flounder (Matsukawagarei) sushi taste like?

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.

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Revision date: May 9, 2023

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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.

In the waters around Japan, Korean pomfret (Pampus echinogaster (Basilewsky, 1855)) and Silver pomfret (Pampus punctatissimus (Temminck and Schlegel, 1845)) are caught, but they are not well differentiated in the market.

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?

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.

Related contents:

Pacific pomfret (Shimagatsuo)

Korean pomfret (Kouraimanagatsuo)

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Revision date: June 12, 2024

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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.

The scientific name is Chlorophthalmus albatrossis Jordan & Starks, 1904. In the market, Bigeyed greeneye (Chlorophthalmus borealis Kuronuma & Yamaguchi, 1941) and Humpback greeneye (Chlorophthalmus acutifrons Hiyama, 1940) are distributed as the same Mehikari without distinction.

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.

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Revision date: May 4, 2023

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What is Flying fish (Tobiuo)?

Flying fish (Tobiuo) is distributed in warm seas south of central Honshu and around Taiwan, living in the surface layer from the coast to offshore. Its body length is about 30 cm. Its body is long and slender, and its pectoral fins are large and wing-like, used for flying above the sea surface.

It migrates northward from southern Japan in the spring with rising water temperatures and southward in the autumn with falling water temperatures. Flying fish usually migrate near the surface of the ocean in schools, reaching speeds of 35 km/h on the surface and 55 km/h in the air, depending on the species and size of the flying fish. They also glide like gliders at a height of 4 to 5 meters and a distance of 100 to 500 meters in a single flight.

The name Tobiuo (Flying fish) is used as a generic name for the Exocoetidae, but the Narrowtongue flyingfish, which is typical of the waters around Japan, is distinguished by the name Hon-tobi. It is 30 to 35 cm in length and migrate northward in schools on the Kuroshio Current, approaching the coast from April to July to spawn. Another representative Tobiuo is the slightly smaller Dark-edged-winged flyingfish (Hoso-tobi), also known as Maru-tobi or Nyubai-tobi. The scientific name is Cypselurus agoo (Temminck and Schlegel, 1846).

What does Flying fish (Tobiuo) sushi taste like?

Flying fish (Tobiuo) is fresh if it has a shiny surface and shiny blue-black back, and if its eyes are clear. The freshness of the flying fish is also assured by the fact that its digestive tract is small and the food it eats is immediately expelled from the digestive tract. Fresh fish is the best choice for sashimi. The flesh is slightly soft, not too watery, light, and has no peculiar taste. However, sushi topping is not generally used for Edomae sushi.

Flying fish is also called “Ago” in Japanese. “Ago” is the dialect around Nagasaki.　Flying fish, which contains less fat than other fish, is dried and used as dashi (fish stock). Dashi of dried flying fish is called “Ago-dashi”. This is one of the highest-quality dashi.

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Revision date: April 28, 2023

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What is Spotted knifejaw (Ishigakidai)?

Spotted knifejaw (Ishigakidai) is distributed along the Pacific coast south of Ibaraki Prefecture and along the Sea of Japan south of Yamaguchi Prefecture to the South China Sea. It inhabits mainly rocky reefs. The length of the body reaches 90 cm.

The ecology and habits are similar to those of Barred knifejaw (Ishidai), but young fish are generally brownish with numerous blackish-brown stone wall (stone wall is ishigaki in Japanese) patterns scattered throughout the body. As the fish grows, the pattern becomes lighter, and in male adults it disappears completely. The season is summer.

Note that some of the larger Barred knifejaw and Spotted knifejaw (over 60 cm) may have Ciguatera poisoning. The scientific name is Oplegnathus punctatus (Temminck and Schlegel, 1844).

What does Spotted knifejaw (Ishigakidai) sushi taste like?

The meat of Spotted knifejaw (Ishigakidai) is firmer and tighter than that of Red seabream (Madai), and it is so chewy that it feels too hard to make sashimi if it has just died. Therefore, like puffer fish, usuzukuri (thinly sliced) is used for sashimi and sushi topping.

Spotted knifejaw has a more subtle scent of the sea than barred knifejaw. The color of chiai (dark red meat) is not a bright red, but rather a duller shade, but the meat is surprisingly fatty and delicious.

Nigiri sushi is also good with salt and kabosu. Its umami is thought to arise from eating sea urchins, shellfish and crustaceans. Both nigiri sushi and sashimi are rare in Tokyo, but common in Shikoku and Kyushu.

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Revision date: April 26, 2023

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