SUSHI ICHI

Japanese spanish mackerel (Sawara)

【Nigiri sushi: Shiromi】
Found across the country's coasts from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu and Okinawa, Sawara is often caught in the Seto Inland Sea. Sawara is called by different names as it grows. Young fish of 30-40cm are called Yanagi. 40-50cm are called sagoshi. 50-60cm are called nagi, and that 60cm or over are called Sawara. It can reach large sizes up to 1m in length.

Generally, it is baked and eaten but you can really taste the flavor of Sawara when served as sashimi. Aging it or preserving it as kobujime and then serving it as nigiri sushi optimizes the umami of Sawara. The only Sawara that came to the sushi chef in a very fresh state can be used as a sushi topping so if you see it in the chef’s refrigerated case, you definitely want to try it. Unlike bonito, Sawara skin is better when seared. This is because when it is seared skillfully, its soft flesh will become even softer. Even if it feels a little bland when you first taste it, the more you chew, the more apparent the flavor. It will also leave a delicious lingering taste on the back of your tongue. It doesn’t have a peculiar flavor, which is one of the appeals that means you won’t get tired of this fish.

Also called Spotted mackerel.