There are over 100 species of abalone in the world, but in Japan, the term awabi (abalone) generally refers to Japanese abalone (Kuro awabi), disk abalone (Megai awabi), ezo abalone (Ezo awabi), and giant abalone (Madaka awabi).

Wild abalone can be found worldwide, except for the Atlantic coast of South America, the Caribbean Sea, and the east coast of the United States. Most abalone live in the cold coastal waters of New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, the west coast of North America, and Japan. Among these, China, South Korea, and South Africa are also major aquaculture countries.

Over the past 30 years, China’s abalone aquaculture industry has grown from zero to become the world’s largest producer, with an annual production of over 200,000 tons, accounting for more than 90% of global aquaculture production. Among the world’s major aquaculture countries, China is both the largest producer and the largest consumer of abalone.

The following types of abalone are imported into Japan.

California Abalone

About seven species of large abalone live off the coasts of California and Mexico, and are consumed locally as abalone steaks. Some of these are distributed to the seafood-loving Japanese market.

Red abalone or Akane awabi (Haliotis (Nordotis) rufescens Swainson, 1822) has a reddish surface and a greenish-blue interior. It is as large as Japan’s largest species, the Giant abalone (Haliotis madaka (Habe 1977)), but has a much thicker and heavier shell. For a while, attempts were made to cultivate this species in Japan, but without success.

Pink abalone (Haliotis (Nordotis) corrugata) has a shell about the size of Disk abalone (Haliotis gigantea Gmelin 1791), but much thicker, more circular in shape, and characterized by strong corrugations. The surface of the shell is green and the radial ribs are separated by growth lines. The flesh is tough and is more valuable as a beautiful ornament than as a foodstuff. It is found in shallow waters along with the Green abalone (Haliotis (Nordotis) fulgens).

Green abalone range from point conception, California, to Bahia de Magdalena, Mexico. The oval-shaped shell protects the abalone from predators. The shell is usually brown and marked with many low, flat-topped ribs which run parallel to the 5 to 7 open respiratory pores that are elevated above the shell’s surface. The inside of the shell is an iridescent blue and green.

Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii Leach, 1814) grows to about 12 cm in length and has a black shell. The blackish-blue shell has five to nine holes (respiratory pores) used to breathe, remove waste, and reproduce. They once numbered in the millions along the California coast, but are now endangered. Threaded abalone (Haliotis assimilis Dall, 1878.) from California is close to Japanese abalone in flavor and firmness.

Hawaiian Abalone

Ezo abalone is cultivated in the deep, cold, and pure waters of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also imported to Japan.

Australian Abalone

Roe’s abalone or Australian Tokobushi (Haliotis roei Gray 1826) was the most common abalone on the market from early on. The shell is more rounded than that of Tokobushi (Haliotis supertexta Lischke 1870), and the spiral expansion is not as rapid as in Tokobushi. The shell is also characterized by the presence of numerous deep spiral grooves on the surface.

Greenlip abalone or Usuhira awabi(Haliotis laevigata Donovan, 1808) is rarely used as boiled shellfish or steamed in sake.

Bikutoria abalone (Haliotis conicopora Peron, 1816) has recently become more noticeable due to the decrease in the catch of Kuro awabi. Many sushi restaurants dislike this species because the flesh is dark in color and soft when made into sashimi. However, it is used in many restaurants. In Japan, the abalone referred to as Australian abalone is the Blacklip abalone (Haliotis ruber Leach, 1814) and Bikutoria abalone.

Atlantic Ocean Abalone

Although large abalone is not distributed in the Atlantic Ocean as they are in Japan and California, the Mediterranean Sea is home to the Ear shell (Haliotis tuberculata Linnaeus 1758), which is a slightly larger version of Tokobushi. It is rarely imported from France and other countries.

Asian Abalone

Large species of abalone are distributed in waters where large brown algae grow. Therefore, only small species live in the tropical areas of Asia, where coral reefs are well developed. Even so, small species are used as substitutes for Tokobushi in canned foods and bento dishes, such as Glistening abalone (Haliotis glabra Gmelin 1791) from the Philippines, Sheep’s ear abalone (Haliotis ovina Gmelin 1791) from Taiwan, and Ass’s ear abalone (Haliotis asinina Linnaeus 1758) from Hong Kong. Farmed Ezo abalone or Ezo awabi imported from South Korea accounts for more than 90% of total imports.

Chilean Abalone

Chilean abalone (Concholepas concholepas (Bruguie, 1789) ) is listed as Loco-gai in the Japanese product label and as Awabi-modoki in the illustrated book. The name of this species suggests an intention to associate it with abalone, but it belongs to the family Muricidae, which is not related to abalone.

It is native to the coasts of Chile and Peru. The shell is about 8 cm long and plate-shaped. It has a lid of keratin that is not found on real abalones. In rare cases, you can see that it is dyed in a light purple color, etc., because it is a unique characteristic of the family Muricidae, which becomes purple when the secreted mucus comes into contact with air.

When it was first imported to Japan, it was labeled as “awabi” in supermarkets and restaurants, and there was some fuss about the mislabeling, but even when sliced, there is no epipodial tentacle characteristic of awabi, and the difference can be seen.

The trading price of Chilean abalone is about one-fifth that of abalone. It is a popular ingredient in conveyor-belt sushi, Chinese cuisine, etc. under the name Chile-awabi, but actually that name cannot be used.

Japanese Abalone

The five types of Japanese abalone eaten in sushi restaurants include Japanese abalone (Kuro awabi), disk abalone (Megai awabi), ezo abalone (Ezo awabi), giant abalone (Madaka awabi), and Tokobushi (Tokobushi). Japanese abalone and ezo abalone are good raw, while giant abalone and disk abalone can be enjoyed steamed.

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Revision date: May 19, 2025

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Gasutoro (ガストロ) is widely distributed throughout the temperate and subarctic regions of the Southern Hemisphere, but is not known to be found in the Northern Hemisphere. It is found in the open ocean around Australia and New Zealand, at depths of about 200 meters. It has the English name “Butterfly Tuna (Gasterochisma melampus Richardson, 1845)” because of its large, butterfly-like abdominal fins.

It is mostly caught as bycatch in longline fisheries that catch southern bluefin tuna. This is due to the overlap in habitat with southern bluefin tuna.

It is often thought to taste similar to tuna, a popular sashimi fish, perhaps due to the inclusion of maguro and tuna names in its name, such as “Uroko maguro” and “Butterfly tuna,” but it actually does not resemble tuna very much.

It has a refreshing flavor more like swordfish tuna. The best way to eat it raw is marinated with soy sauce, which takes about 15 minutes for the whole saku (fillet).

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There are about 100 species of squid that live in the waters surrounding Japan. Surume ika (Japanese common squid) makes up the highest volume of domestic-caught squid. It is used as a Yari ika or Surume ika topping in eastern Japan, but Surume ika isn’t used very often in western Japan. At sushi restaurants, squid like Sumi ika (Golden cuttlefish), Aori ika (Bigfin reef squid), Kensaki ika (Swordtip squid) and Mongou ika (Ocellated cuttlefish) go for high prices, but they are all caught in smaller quantities and therefore only available to high-end sushi restaurants that can procure them fresh.

There are some conveyor belt sushi restaurants that list Mongou ika (モンゴウイカ又はカミナリイカ) on the menu, but actually serve European common cuttlefish. It is produced in the waters off the coast of West Africa. Even some sushi restaurants do this. This is actually still too pricey for conveyor belt sushi though. What is generally used at conveyor belt sushi is Flying squid, which goes for only 1/10 the price of the European common cuttlefish and reaches 60 cm in length. Jumbo flying squid is also often used. The Jumbo flying squid is more than twice as long as the Flying squid and exceeds 1 meter in length. The Jumbo flying squid is mainly imported from places on the other side of the world such as Chile and Mexico. The thickness of the meat is similar to Mongou ika. However, a big drawback is that the Jumbo flying squid lacks the sweetness peculiar to squid. Therefore, it is soaked in water that has been artificially sweetened. This alters the dried out sensation to a plump, moist sensation, making the customer believe it is Mongou ika.

The squid must have a certain thickness in order to masquerade as Mongou ika. Rhomboid squid, which has a torso length of 80 cm is also disguised as Mongou ika. Rhomboid squid is found in the warm waters of the world and is even caught in relatively high volume in Japan. Large squid have a low price cost, so it’s good for the shops to make a profit. Furthermore, the sweetness is brought out more when frozen first than by serving it fresh. That means it can be used as Mongou ika without any need for the artificial sweeteners used in Flying squid and Jumbo flying squid.

The fact is that there are many substitute products for Mongou ika. But even so, it doesn’t change the fact that using ingredients disguised as others is an unacceptable practice.

Types of  substitutes for the Mongou ika

European common cuttlefish: Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

European common cuttlefish (ヨーロッパコウイカ) is found from the Atlantic coast of France to the Mediterranean and west coast of Africa. It is often caught in the waters around Morocco. Its body length is around 30 cm. When it first arrived on the Japanese market, it was called Mongouika, hence the name.

The scientific name sepia means black pigment and officinalis means medicinal, indicating that this is a material for Chinese herbal medicine. At processing plants in Thailand and China, the fish is made into fillets for sashimi, and then vacuum-packed and sent to Japan.

Flying squid: Ommastrephes bartramii (Lesueur, 1821)

Flying squid (アカイカ) is distributed in the North Pacific, South Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. Its body length exceeds 40 cm, and it can weigh more than 4 kg. It is similar in appearance to the Surumeika, but has a darker, blackish back. It is used as a substitute for Surumeika for processing such as delicacies.

Jumbo flying squid: Dosidicus gigas (Orbigny, 1835)

Jumbo flying squid (アメリカオオアカイカ) is found only off the Pacific coast of the United States, Chile and Peru in South America. They are over 80 cm in length, weigh around 10 kg, and have as many as 100 to 200 suckers. In Peru, they are called Pota. Japanese fishing vessels used to catch flying squid mainly in the North Pacific, but their catch has drastically decreased due to the ban on drift net fishing.

Japanese vessels have switched to fishing for Jumbo flying squid, a member of the flying squid family, in the waters off Peru and other areas. Fishing for Jumbo flying squid in Peruvian waters continues from spring to fall.

Since the drifting net fishing of flying squid has been banned, it is the most promising resource as a raw material for processing. However, the larger ones store ammonia in their muscles, so de-ammonia treatment is required when processing them.

Rhomboid squid: Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857

Rhomboid squid (ソデイカ) is widely distributed in the warm waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The body length is 70 cm. Its fins are diamond-shaped and the same length as its body. Because they do not form large schools and live scattered, they have been a difficult resource to exploit.

After a new fishing method was developed in the Tajima region of Hyogo Prefecture in the 1960s, the fishery began in earnest. Because of its reasonable price, it is often used in restaurants such as conveyor belt sushi restaurants. Also called Diamond squid or Diamondback squid.

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In Japan, domestic production isn’t enough to satisfy the appetite of Japanese who like Tako, so the majority relies on imports. Imports from Africa account for 80% and the remainder is imported from China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Spain and other places in the world.

Most of the African imports are produced by nations on the northwestern coast, with the highest number coming from Mauritania. Until 2003 the highest volume came from Morocco for many years. However, due to continued mass catches to sell to Japan, Tako numbers dropped drastically, leading to the Moroccan government panicking and outlawing fishing. For some reason, Japanese people have grown to love Tako and now consume nearly half of the Tako caught throughout the world.

There are over 200 types of Tako in the world with approximately 60 types inhabiting the seas near Japan. Among these, the Japanese mainly only eat Madako, Mizudako and Iidako. Even among these, Madako makes up at least 80% of consumption.

Most of the Tako found at conveyor belt sushi is African Madako (Madako from Africa). African produced Tako is boiled on-site before being imported frozen. The cost is 20 cents or less per topping.

Amateurs can’t tell the difference between domestic Tako or African imports. However, there is one aspect that even an amateur can use to distinguish between the two. There is one condition for this to work, and that is that at least one of the suckers is in-tact. The suckers are scraped off for most toppings, but in cases where they are sliced by the restaurant, there are often suckers remaining. If the sucker is pure white, it is almost definitely from Africa. Meanwhile, domestic Tako suckers maintain a faint red color in the suckers, even when boiled. The reason the suckers turn white seems to be an effect of the food preservatives added during processing, but this has not been confirmed.

There happens to be a substitute for Madako as well.

One of these is the Iwadako from Vietnam, which grows as large as the height of an adult human. It is imported in frozen slices that can be used as raw Tako as soon as it thaws. The cost of this topping is 20 cents or less per piece. This ends up disguised as Hokkaido Tako.

There are also domestic substitutes. Yanagidako (Chestnut octopus) is mainly caught in the Pacific Ocean, from Chiba prefecture northward. The flavor is lighter than Madako, but it is also softer than Madako, so some people actually consider it to be better than Madako. If it is boiled and made into sushi, an amateur can’t distinguish between it and Madako. The legs are thin so they just need to be cut at an extreme angle in order to make the topping appear bigger. The cost of this topping is 15 cents or less per piece. It is also used as Mizudako because it is watery when eaten raw.

As you can see, there are also many substitute toppings for Madako.

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Revision date: December 21, 2021

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Katsuo is born in the warm southern seas. When it reaches about two years old it migrates north in pursuit of Iwashi and other small fish. There are two routes taken by the Katsuo that come to the seas around Japan. One of the routes rides the Kuroshio Current (a warm current) from around the Philippines, passing by Taiwan and the Ryukyus Islands, arriving in southern Kyushu. From there the Katsuo rarely heads toward the Sea of Japan and instead the majority moves northward on the Pacific Ocean side. The Katsuo migration schedule may shift depending on the temperature of the seawater and how the schools of Iwashi and Aji (which the Katsuo feeds on) are migrating that year. The first group appears around Ishigaki Island about January, then in the seas off the shores of Kyushu and Shikoku between February and March. It then moves to the seas off of the Izu and Boso peninsulas between April and June. It reaches the open seas off the southern coast of Sanriku and Hokkaido between July and September.

Another route follows the Ogasawara ocean current from below the equator in the seas off the shore of Papua New Guinea and the seas around Micronesia to the Ogasawara Islands, along the Seven Islands of Izu and approaching the open seas off the Boso Peninsula. The route then goes northward to join with the routes mentioned above.

It’s the Modori-gatsuo that begins reverse migration toward the south at the beginning of autumn when the water temperatures start to drop. Katsuo has a strong appetite before returning south in preparation for the long trip. Unlike the light-flavored Hatsu-gatsuo, the Modori-gatsuo has plenty of fat and its body fattens up quite a bit. The main fishing locations for Modori-gatsuo are in the northern Pacific, such as the waters off the shore of Sanriku. This is the season when it is truly worthy of the name Toro katsuo when served raw, and nothing else should be called by the same name.

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Shrimp can be caught within 45 degrees north or south of the equator. The caught shrimp is quick-frozen on site and then sent to Japan. Mexico was early in advanced refrigeration technology so when it became impossible to catch shrimp in the seas around Japan in the 1970s, a large volume of shrimp was already being imported from Mexico. It was around that time that importers shortened the phrase “Shrimp imported from Mexico” to “Meki”.

After that the major source of shrimp imports switched to Taiwan, which started shrimp aquaculture, and it is now also imported from Thailand, Indonesia and China. The name “Meki” stuck in the industry, despite the fact that shrimp is now mainly imported from other places in Asia.

Imported shrimp is categorized by body color tones, either brown, pink or white. The color is combined with the place of origin or country name and that is what each type of fish is called at the distribution stage. For example, they may be called Mexico brown or Guiana pink.

Well-known brown-toned shrimp include Ushi ebi (Black tiger shrimp) and Mexico brown (Yellowleg shrimp). Pink-toned types include Guiana pink (Pink spotted shrimp) and Nigeria pink ebi (Southern pink shrimp). White-toned shrimp include Taisho ebi (Fleshly prawn),  Banana ebi (Banana Prawn) , Eedeavour ebi (Eedeavour prawn) and Vannamei ebi (Whiteleg shrimp). There are many sushi restaurants that use pink and brown-toned sushi that turn into a nice red color when boiled. While the meat of white-toned shrimp is soft, it turns a whitish color when boiled and doesn’t look very appetizing. However, due to the splendid, large tail, it is perfect for tempura or fried prawns.

Next, We will touch on the characteristics of shrimp that is typically imported to Japan. All these types are actually related to the Kuruma prawn, which is representative of premium shrimp and a familiar ingredient of sushi. In other words, these imports are alternatives to make up for the shrimp consumption in Japan that can’t be covered by the Kuruma prawn. Normally the head is removed, it is frozen, packed in large lots, and then embarks on the distribution channel in Japan.

There are about 27 species of kuruma prawns (Penaeus japonicus Spence Bate, 1888). The following is a list.

Crystal shrimp: Farfantepenaeus brevirostris (Kingsley, 1878)

Witch Shrimp: Farfantepenaeus Burukovsky, 1972

Northern pink shrimp: Farfantepenaeus duorarum (Burkenroad, 1939)

Indian white prawn (Shonanebi): Fenneropenaeus indicus (H.Milne Edwards, 1837)

Caramote Prawn: Penaeus kerathurus (Forskål, 1775)

Western king prawn (Futomizoebi): Penaeus latisulcatus Kishinouye, 1896

Redspot King Prawn: Penaeus longistylus Kubo, 1943

Aloha Prawn (Terao-kurumaebi): Penaeus marginatus J.W.Randall, 1840

Western White Shrimp (Tenjiku-kurumaebi): Penaeus occidentalis Streets, 1871

San Paulo Shrimp: Penaeus (Melicertus) paulensis Pérez Farfante, 1967

Redtail Prawn (Akaoebi): Penaeus penicillatus Alcock, 1905

Southern White Shrimp: Penaeus schmitti Burkenroad, 1936

Green Tiger Prawn (Kumaebi): Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844

Northern White shrimp: Penaeus setiferus (Linnaeus, 1767)

－: Penaeus silasi Muthu & Motoh, 1979

Blue Shrimp (Paradise prawn or Theshinoebi): Penaeus stylirostris Stimpson, 1874

Southern Brown Shrimp: Penaeus subtilis Pérez Farfante, 1967

The following is a list of those commonly used in sushi restaurants and Japanese restaurants in Japan.

Guiana pink (Redspotted shrimp, Spotted pink shrimp /Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817))

For more information, go here.

Taisho ebi (Fleshly prawn /Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Osbeck, 1765))

It is found from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the Malay Archipelago and Australia. The species is of considerable commercial importance in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and Korean Bight, where it is trawled. It is sold in Korea, China, Japan and Hong Kong. This is a large shrimp that reaches up to 25 cm in body length. The appearance is similar to the Kuruma ebi, but without any special pattern. The edge of the abdomen is a dark brown color. There are 28 known species related to the Kuruma ebi. In the Toyosu market, those with a striped pattern are Kuruma ebi, and those without are Taisho ebi. In Japanese it’s been dubbed “Korai ebi” is due to the fact that it is often caught in the waters off the west coast of the Korean peninsula. The soft meat has a sweetness that makes this shrimp delicious. The number of wild Taisho ebi has decreased drastically in recent years. The coloring is lighter than Kuruma prawn and Black tiger shrimp, but darker than other white-toned shrimp. This type has a long history compared to other imported frozen shrimp and such high volumes were imported from China that it was called Chinese Taisho. It accounted for the majority of the market share until farmed Black tiger shrimp started to appear on the market.

Banana ebi (Banana Prawn /Penaeus merguiensis De Man, 1888)

It found around the northern coast of Australia from the New South Wales-Queensland border to Shark Bay in Western Australia, it is mainly caught by trawlers between Exemouth Gulf, Western Australia and Brisbane, with the bulk of the catch coming from the Gulf of Carpentaria. It weighs between 18 to 30 g per shrimp and is colored like a banana. The meat is soft and has a sweetness. Sometimes it is also sold as Taisho ebi. The body is thinner and slenderer than the Black tiger shrimp. It is available year round with peak supply in April.

Mexico brown (Yellowleg shrimp, Brown shrimp /Farfantepenaeus californiensis (Holmes, 1900))

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Vannamei ebi (Whiteleg shrimp, Pacific white shrimp/Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931))

For more information, go here.

Ushi ebi (Black tiger shrimp, Giant tiger prawn/Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798)

For more information, go here.

Australia tiger (Brown tiger prawn /Penaeus esculentus Haswell, 1879)

The Australian tiger (Brown tiger prawn) is endemic to Australia and is found at depths of 15~20 meters along the coast except in the southern part of the country. Its main locality is the Gulf of Carpentaria on the northern coast of Australia. It reaches 25 cm in length but is generally 15~20 cm long.

Because of its beautiful red legs and reddish-brown stripes, this shrimp is mainly imported to Japan with its head on. In addition to its shape and size reminiscent of Kuruma ebi, it is a high-end variety that is not so tough, sweet, and has a good taste and coloration and is used in grilled dishes and tempura.

Nigeria pink ebi (Southern pink shrimp, Candied shrimp/Farfantepenaeus notialis (Pérez Farfante, 1967))

Nigeria pink ebi (Southern pink shrimp) is found from Mauritania to Angola at depths of 20~100m. It is also found in the western Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean coast to southern Brazil.

It inhabits bottom mud or sandy mud, and sandy patches among rocks in marine environments. Juveniles are found in estuarine environments. Also inhabits lagoons. It is often used for sushi because of the soft meat, good flavor, and nice coloring. This is one of the highest grades of imported shrimp.

Mexico ebi (Northern brown shrimp, Brown shrimp /Farfantepenaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891))

Mexico ebi (Northern white shrimp) is distributed from the Gulf of Mexico to depths of up to 30 meters along the eastern coast of North America. Juvenile shrimp grows in estuaries. It is the most important species in the Gulf of Mexico, with an average annual catch of nearly 30,000 tons. On the other hand, Southern white shrimp is distributed in shallow waters from the Caribbean Sea to southern Brazil. It is almost indistinguishable from this species in appearance, but the male and female reproductive organs differ in shape.

Maximum standard length: 22 cm. It lives in bottom mud or peat, often with sand, clay, or broken shells. Adults inhabit the marine environment. Juveniles inhabit the estuarine and marine environments. There are 13 types of brown-toned Kuruma prawn in the world and the names get confusing.

Also called Golden Shrimp, Red Shrimp, Redtail Shrimp.

King ebi (Eastern king prawn /Penaeus plebejus Hess, 1865)

Adults are found in marine environments while juveniles are found in estuarine environments. It is found over sandy bottoms at depths of 2-350 m or deeper.

Finally, the shrimp introduced in this section is consumed not only in Japan but all over the world. Judging by the images on social media, takeout sushi and the frozen shrimp sold at Costco are made from one of the types of shrimp described here. If you’re going to learn about sushi, it’s important to learn the types of shrimp used in sushi.

India ebi (Indian prawn/Madagascar white prawn/Fenneropenaeus indicus (H.Milne Edwards, 1837))

India ebi (Indian prawn) is widely distributed from the Philippines through Southeast Asia to the western Indian Ocean. It is especially important in the waters from the Indian coast to the western Indian Ocean.

It is a White species of Kuruma ebi and is similar in appearance to the Banana Prawn. Once the head is removed, it is difficult to distinguish between the two species. In Southeast Asian markets, both species are sold together.

Those distributed in East African waters have brownish bodies and reddish legs. It has a rich flavor and aroma and is very tasty. It is suitable for frying and tempura.

Also called Indian white prawn, Tugela prawn , White prawn.

Endeavour ebi (Endeavour prawn/ Metapenaeus endeavouri (Schmitt, 1926))

Endeavour ebi (Endeavour prawn) are abundant in all waters except the southern part of Australia, but can also be caught in Philippine waters. It is found at depths of 20 to 45 meters. It is said to be caught together with shiba shrimp in some waters, but unlike shiba shrimp, it does not enter brackish water.

It is about 15 cm long and weighs about 17 grams. The entire body is covered with fine hair. Its scientific name is derived from the name of a research vessel, the Endeavour, which surveyed the eastern coast of Australia.

Also called Brown prawn, Endeavour shrimp.

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Revision date: June 15, 2024

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Black Tiger has a strong sweetness and firm meat but maintains its plumpness even when cooked with heat. It is known for the red color that appears when heated. The appearance and texture when eating Black Tiger is said to be similar to Kuruma Ebi, which is known to be a shrimp of luxury, so it is a very popular shrimp in Japan. It is used not only as a sushi topping, but in a wide variety of dishes, such as for deep-fried shrimp or Tempura.

For sushi restaurants, shrimp that has been boiled and had the head and shell removed is imported in vacuum-sealed bags. Once defrosted, it can be used as a sushi topping without any further preparations. At conveyor belt sushi restaurants it was even once presented as Kuruma Ebi.

One problem with Black Tiger, which is the mainstream farmed shrimp, is that it has little resistance to illness, and cannot be farmed in the same place continuously. Therefore, Black Tiger farming volume has dropped and currently Vannamei Ebi (Whiteleg shrimp) is becoming a major force in shrimp farming.

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Revision date: July 9, 2021

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However, most conveyor belt sushi restaurants offer Mirugai at reasonable prices. The topping on these is quite white. In conclusion, this shellfish is actually Shiromiru (also known as Namigai or Japanese geoduck) and is mainly found in Aichi and Chiba. As the name suggests, the siphon is larger than Mirugai and whiter (“shiro” means “white” in Japanese). There is a certain flavor that is peculiar to shellfish that live in sandy terrain, which some people like and some people hate. However, at less than half the price of Mirugai, it makes a decent substitute.

Unfortunately, the number of Shiromiru is also declining. Now, in order to fulfill demand, Pacific geoduck is being imported from places like Canada and the U.S. and is also called Shiromiru at the Toyosu Market.

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Revision date: July 8, 2021

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Caviar is one of the world’s three major delicacies and can command different prices depending on the type of sturgeon (egg size). It is ranked in the order: Beluga, Oscietra and Sevruga, all of which come from the Caspian Sea. Beluga from the Caspian Sea is designated as an endangered species and international trade is prohibited by the Washington Convention. Its population is very small and it does not lay eggs until 20 years into its lifespan, so the resource has yet to recover. This has brought the market price of Beluga up to around USD $400 for just 50 g.

What is the substitute for caviar?

Lumpfish roe is sold as a substitute for caviar. The size of each egg is about 2 mm in diameter and it is colored with squid ink. This gives it a taste and appearance similar to caviar. The market price is an astonishing USD $5 per 50 g.

The main ingredients of Lumpfish caviar are as follows:

• 　Lumpfish roe
• 　Salt
• 　Sugar
• 　Thickening agent
• 　Sodium benzoate
• 　Coloring

What is artificial caviar?

Artificial caviar is significantly cheaper than genuine caviar. It’s low in fats, lower in calories and healthier than the real thing. It is already a big hit in the U.S. The size of the eggs is a little larger than authentic caviar and the skin is thicker but most people would tell you the texture and taste is much the same. There has also been a decrease in sturgeon, and there is no sign that its price will fall in the future. The challenge is meeting the global demand through a combination of farmed caviar which has become a more stable supply in recent years, with the ever-dwindling wild caviar. The market price is reasonable at around USD $10 for 50 g.

There is a way to tell the difference between real caviar and fake caviar.

First, place the caviar on a cracker. Fake caviar (made of Lumpfish roe) has added color, and this color will bleed onto the cracker within about 30 minutes. However, the color will not transfer to the cracker from real caviar.

The main raw ingredients of artificial caviar are as follows:

• 　Sea urchin extract
• 　Oyster extract
• 　Gelatin
• 　Dextrin
• 　D-sorbitol
• 　Trehalose
• 　Gelling agent
• 　Seasoning
• 　Coloring

Finally, seafood with a high price, unfortunately, results in substitutes, counterfeits, and artificial products. Masquerading a fake as the real thing can result in a large profit. I will tell you that it is difficult to trick a middleman who serves professional sushi chefs or restaurants. Therefore anyone in Japan who uses seafood like this, does it knowingly, which makes the crime even worse.

Related contents:

What is Salmon caviar?

What is Red caviar?

The secret story of how Ikura became a sushi topping!

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Revision date: February 22, 2022

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First on the list is Nile tilapia. This fish was introduced from Egypt to rivers throughout the world as food in 1962. While it was farmed in large quantities in Japan, especially in Kagoshima, from the 1990s, production rapidly declined with the stagnant prices of farmed madai. However, they are extremely fertile and proliferate naturally, and started living in the thermal regions and the rivers where warm wastewater flow throughout Japan.

The commonly used names for this is “izumidai” or “chikadai”. While izumidai (Nile tilapia) is a freshwater fish, it was likely named after “tai” (sea bream) because of the similarities in appearance. In Taiwan, it is considered to be so similar in appearance and taste, that it is called “Taiwanese sea bream”. It is a popular fish for consumption on a global scale with high production and distribution volume.

However, even though has “sea bream” in the name, it is not actually related to the sea bream at all.

As an aside, at least 90% of the tilapia found in the U.S. is imported. Most of those imports come from China. It’s often said that they are raised on a large volume of antibiotics and pesticides, and they are kept fresh using high amounts of chemicals. It’s best to avoid eating it if possible. The tagline they give it is “Sushi grade tilapia is a high quality, firm fish with a mild, clean taste perfect for sashimi and sushi applications” You’ll be hard-pressed to even find kaiten sushi restaurants using this in Japan. In addition, it would never be used at restaurants that describe themselves as Edomae Sushi.

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Revision date: January 4, 2021

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