Spring Fish

As the seasons change, so does the character of the sea.

Kohada, which is delicious in winter, becomes less fatty around this time of year.

Kohada is at its best from late autumn through the following spring.

In summer, it appears on the market as shinko, but it is prized for its seasonal character; in terms of flavor, it is nowhere near as good as winter kohada.

Among vinegared fish in spring, there is kasugo tai, or young sea bream.

It refers to young renko dai or madai, which are cured in vinegar.

Written in Japanese characters, it is 春子—literally, “spring child.”

Just as small anago are called meso, kasugo originally did not have a particularly favorable meaning as a word.

In other words, it comes from misokkasu, a term for something small or disregarded: taking kasu from misokkasu gives us kasugo, written as 春子.

Meso is similar, and is said to be a corrupted form of misokkasu.

I seem to have wandered off into a Japanese-language lesson.

In any case, kasugo tai is one of the fish that is especially delicious at this time of year.

Among silver-skinned fish, aji and iwashi take the place of kohada, becoming richer and more delicious as they gain fat.

The glittering sayori is also wonderfully springlike and popular.

What about shellfish?

When it comes to spring shellfish, surely torigai is the standout.

We quickly shuck torigai purchased in their shells using a shellfish knife.

Fresh torigai are incredibly lively, so if left in their shells, they will soon use their tongues to move about on their own.

Now, let us enjoy the shucked torigai raw, without applying heat.

Season it with salt or ponzu-style vinegar soy sauce.

Its ocean aroma fills your mouth and leaves you feeling happy.

And what of tuna, the cornerstone of Edomae sushi?

Honmaguro that has come down from the Tsugaru Strait to the waters near Honshu in winter shifts its main diet from squid to fish such as sardines, and its flavor itself changes subtly as well.

The lean meat in particular seems to become milder in flavor, perhaps because its iron content decreases slightly.

For that reason, rather than marinating the lean meat in nikiri soy sauce, we give it a light marinade in vinegar soy sauce.

As for toro, we serve it with Salies-de-Béarn, a salt from the French Basque Country.

This salt is originally suited to meat products such as ham, but because it melts exceptionally quickly in the mouth and brings out the flavor of fish, the fifth-generation owner especially values it.

I could go on and on once I start writing, so let us leave it here for this time.

Sushi uniquely allows you to experience the changing seasons through the fish you eat, so please enjoy it.