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MADAI – Japanese Red seabream

Japanese people simply love this fish. It has a long history of being served on celebration days in Japan. This fish has a tasty fatty part under the skin. “Shimokawa-tsukuri” is the best sashimi style to make use of the tasty fatty parts. Roasting with some skin on also enhances the delicious taste. Recently, farm-raised sea bream has become more popular but wild caught sea bream is still a top-ranking fish in the Japan seafood market.
日本人に昔から愛されてきた魚です。お刺身や寿司には皮下の脂の美味しいさを活かすために霜皮造りにしたり、皮目を炙るなどします。最近は養殖物も普及しましたが、天然真鯛の美味しさは別格のようです。

 

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SANMA – Pike mackerel

お盆明けのサンマは遠方の漁場で獲られた小型のものが主で鮮度落ちも早かったのですが、これから本格的にシーズンの始まりとともに良いものが入ってきます。ただ今年も水揚げが少な
い傾向があり高値が予想されます。
Although the Pacific saury caught just after Obon season are usually small, caught in far-away fisheries, and their freshness short-lived, the peak season is just beginning, making better quality saury more readily available. Nevertheless, high prices are expected because catches are continued to be smaller this year.

 

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YAZU/INADA – Young Yellowtail

Yazu is a “Shusseuo” name of young yellowtail in Fukuoka area market. It has less fatty meat compare to Buri. It has elegant sweetness and satisfying texture.
ブリの若魚で、地方によっては違う呼び名になります。脂が乗ったブリに比べるとさっぱりとした爽やかな味わいで、ハリのある食感が特徴です。価格も手ごろで刺身・照り焼・から揚げなどが美味です。

 

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ITOYORI – Threadfin bream

The bright pink of this fish adds the color to the sashimi-dish as well as a taste. In Japan, it’s high-end class fish. Sashimi with firm skin is ultimately tasty. This fish is good not only for Japanese foods, it’s good for sauteed with butter or Meuniere.
華やかなピンク色の刺身は美味しさだけではなく料理に彩りも添えます。関西では祝い魚としても食されてきました。霜皮造りの刺身は絶品です。
日本食だけでなくバター焼きやムニエルなどの西洋料理にも使われます。

 

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ISHIDAI – Rock porgy

Thinly sliced striped beakfish is translucent with a firm texture, an ever-delicate sweetness, and an “Umami” flavor. It has a much richer flavor than Japanese sea bass and flathead, the most notorious of summer fish. Ways to enjoy this fish include: “Arai” style slices, simmered fish, steaming, salt-grilling, meuniere, and “Ushiojiru” salt broth. Also good is to remove the skin, boil and make thin slices with a garnish of julienned ginger and scallions with lemon juice, or wrapping them on bamboo skewer and grilling until crisp, seared with soy sauce or salt and lemon juice.
薄造りにしたイシダイの身は透き通り、歯ごたえがあってほのかな甘味と確かな旨味が広がります。同じく夏魚の代表のスズキやコチよりも濃厚な味わいです。洗いや煮付け、蒸し物、塩焼き、ムニエル、うしお汁などでどうぞ。皮はゆがいて細切りし、ねぎしょうがの千切りをあしらってレモン汁で、あるいは竹串に巻いてカリカリに焼き、醤油をたらすか塩とレモン汁でも。酒の肴に最適です。

 

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HAMO – Pike conger

Many rivers flow into the Shiranui Sea of Amakusa where pike eel, growing in a location with ample food thanks to the freshwater, are called golden pike eel and have excellent marbling. Fished by long-line, pike eel here is known for quality far-exceeding the rest of the nation.
天草の不知火海はそそぐ川が多く、淡水の影響により餌が豊富な場所で育ったハモは黄金ハモと呼ばれ、脂ののりが最高です。はえ縄漁で獲られたこのハモは全国で抜き出た品質が知られています。

 

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KISU – Smelt / Whiting

Kisu, which migrate toward towards the shore to lay their eggs, are allowed be caught beginning in May, and from that time you can see lots of fresh fish of this species in stores. Kisu prefers the clean sands at the bottom of the ocean. The beautiful waters around Shiga Island abound with high-qual­ity kisu. To maintain the freshness of this fish, fisher­man learn the technique of releasing the hook from the fish without touching it.
産卵のため岸近くに回遊してきたキスを獲るそうごち網・流しさし網漁業が5月に解禁されて、新鮮なキスが店頭にならびます。きれいな砂の海底を好む魚で、綺麗な海が広がる志賀島は良質なキスが良く穫れる漁場となっています。

 

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OKOZE – Devil stinger

There are largely three types of devil stingers- red, black, and yellow. As for those sold in the markets, the red type is ranked as the most expensive, then the black, and finally the yellow. Those that are large and above 500g are especially popular to be prepared as sashimi.
鬼虎魚には大まかに三種類あり、赤虎魚・黒虎魚・黄虎魚がいます。市場において取引される価格も赤が高値で、次位に黒、最後は黄とランク付けされています。特に500g以上の大物はお造りようとして大変人気が高いです。

 

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SAWARA – Japanese Spanish Mackerel

Although known as a mainstay Spring fish, ‘cold’ Japanese Spanish Mackerel caught in the fall and winter are delicious due to their marbling.
Very delicious as sashimi and absolutely exquisite when grilled. Vast styles of preparations such as Yuan Yaki with the hint of pumelo flavoring, Saikyo Zuke using sweet Kyoto miso, meuniere, and frying are popular, although of course, especially fresh catches can be enjoyed as sushi or sashimi.
代表的な春の魚の一つサワラですが、秋から冬の脂がのった寒サワラも極上の美味しさです。
刺身も抜群に美味しい魚ですが、焼き物としても極上の一品です。新鮮なものはお寿司やお刺身はもちろんの事、幽庵焼きや西京漬け、ムニエル、フライなど、幅広い料理方にお使いいただけます。

 

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MAHATA – Grouper

Many types of grouper can be enjoyed in Kyushu. Sevenband grouper (Mahata) is the most recommended for this season. Although it is a fish that is not well-distributed among other markets, it is often found in the markets of Fukuoka. The firm texture of the fish is delectable enjoyed as thin-slices.
色々なハタが穫れる九州ですが、この時期は真ハタがおすすめ。他の市場には殆ど流通しない魚ですが、福岡市場では良く見かけます。歯ごたえのある身はうす造りして絶品。福岡　活ハタ類安定して入荷します。

 

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HIRAME – Fluke(wild)

It is still a bit early for the KAN-Hirame(‘cold’ season fluke) season, but better-quality catches start to flow in around September.
By being a bit creative, such as kobujime by tying kombu around the flesh, fall-catch flounder can also be surprisingly delectable.
寒ヒラメの時期には少し早いのですが、9月に入ると少しずつ良いものが入荷してきます。
秋口のヒラメも昆布締めなどひと手間加えると美味しくなりますので是非お試しください。

 

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SUZUKI – Japanese sea perch

In Japan, Suzuki (sea perch) is one of the major white fish. Mainly, it is used for “Arai” style sashimi or Grilled fish, but this fish is good for French dishes, too. The taste is mild but rich.
白身魚の代表格です。洗いにして食べられたり、焼き物に良く使われますが、フレンチでも良く使われる素材でもあります。クセのない味わいは、納得の美味しさです。

 

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INA SABA – INA-Mackerel

Ina-Saba is a brand of Japanese mackerel that is caught in the rich sea of the Tsushima area. Only selected pieces are picked for Ina-Saba brand, according to the following strict standards:
1) Caught by pole-and-line
2) No scratches on the body
3) More than 6 hours cooling time immediately after harvest
4) Size
伊奈漁港に上がったサバの中から、厳格な基準を満たしたもののみが伊奈サバとして出荷されます。
一本釣り、魚体に傷が無い、水揚げした直後水氷で6時間以上冷やし込みされたもの、5キロ前後でひと箱になるようにサイズ選別された物といった点が基準になります。

 

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TOSASHIMIZU KINME – Alfonsino

The north-flowing “Kuroshio” ocean current brings a rich ocean harvest to Tosashimizu City in the southeastern part of Kochi, Japan.
Fishermen on small boats catch kinmedai one by one with fly fishing gear. The fish are handled very carefully, and in the evening of the same day they are packed for shipping to cities in the USA.
日本で一番最初に黒潮にぶつかる場所・土佐清水。黒潮によって豊かに育ったキンメを一本づつ毛鉤で釣り上げました。小舟に乗った漁師さんが大切に扱ったキンメを夕競りで買い付け、そのままアメリカに向けて直送します。

 

 

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“IZUMI” AJI – “IZUMI” horse mackerel

Nonmigratory-type yellow horse mackerel that grows up in coastal bays and attains a golden color and round form. This fish has moderate fat content and very high quality flesh with a delicious sweetness.
回遊をせずに北薩摩の内海で育った瀬付きの黄アジは丸みを帯びた形となり、色は黄色に光り輝いています。脂のノリと身の締りに絶妙のバランスを持つ肉質はまさに黄金アジの名にふさわしい絶品です。

 

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AWABI – Abalone

In the Chikuzen-sea, there are three subspecies for Awabi, but the Awabi most harvested out of those three is the Kuro-Awabi. (Saga, Nagasaki and Fukuoka: large size of 300g and up).
アワビの仲間は筑前海に3種類いますが、最も獲れているのはクロアワビです。500g以上の大型は高値で取引されます。佐賀、長崎、福岡　300グラムアップの大型です。

 

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UCHIWAEBI – Fan lobster

Despite looking flat and thin with almost no meat to speak of, fan lobster actually has quite a bit of sweet, juicy meat that is deceivingly plentiful.
Although not well-known across Japan due to fishing restrictions and circulating only in local markets, they are a shrimp-family that are considered by some to be more delicious than Japanese spiny lobster.
見た目の形状が平たく薄く見えるため、一見歩留まりが悪く食べるところがあまり無いようにみえますが、意外に身がたっぷりと詰まり、味も甘くて食感も程よいぷりぷり感があります。
漁獲量が制限されているため、地元の市場中心に出回ってきているために全国的な知名度は少ないものの、伊勢海老よりも味は上という方もいるほどの海老です。

 

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YARI-IKA – Spear squid

Though traditionally squid were only fished during the night, with the advent of the vertical long-line fishing method, they can now be caught during the daytime during seasons other than summer. Try preparing them as sashimi or tempura. In Fukuoka, still-live (ikizukuri) preparations are preferred.
従来イカ釣は夜だけでしたが、今では樽流し（たて延縄）漁法が開発されて、夏以外の時期の昼間でも獲れるようになりました。刺身・てんぷらなどで美味しくお召し上がりください。福岡では活づくりが主流です。