October Seafood

As thewaters become cooler the fish become rich with fat. We love sanma (Pacific saury) this time of year,both as sashimi, or simply salted and grilled. If there is a nice cup of nihonshu on the table, eating the gutsof the sanma is also a treat. Formiso soup a handful of shijimi (corbiculaclams) into the pot brings lots of umami and flavor. A bowl asari (Japanese little neck clam) steamedin nihonshu is a perfect appetizer todinner. While I always thought of hirame(halibut) and karei (flounder) aswhite fish and hence non-fatty that is not at all the case. These flatfish cantake on a lot of fat - which you can actually see in the flesh. These are greatas sashimi, or after a day or two we love to simmer until tender in nihonshu. Shinji loves kinki (thornhead), which is often served as simmered in a delicate soy broth (niomono). 

Photo above is of kinki, from the Zukan Boz website.

Click on the name in Japanese for a link to a photo of the seafood.

Ainame 鮎並 fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

Aka garei 赤鰈flatheadflounder (Hippoglossoidesdubius)

Amaebi 甘海老 sweet shrimp(Pandalusborealis)

Asaba garei 浅羽鰈 dusky sole (Lepidopsettabilineata)

Asari 浅蜊 Japanese little neck clam (Ruditapesphilippinarum)

Awabi 鮑 abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)

Babagarei 婆鰈 slime flounder (Microstomus achne)

Baka gai馬鹿貝surf clam (Mactrachinensis)

Benizuwai gani 紅頭矮蟹　red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Botan ebi ボタンエビ Botan shrimp  (Pandalusnipponesis)

Hakkaku or tokubire 八角sailfin poacher (Podothecus sachi)

Hata hata鰰  sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hime ezobora姫蝦夷法螺  sea snail (Neptunea arthritica)

Hirame 鮃 olive halibut (Paralichthysolivaceus)

Hokkaiebi or hokkai shima ebi 北海海老 Hokkai shrimp (Pandaluslatirostris)

Hokke �� arabesquegreenling (Pleurogrammusazonus)

Hokki gai (uba gai) 姥貝 hen clam (Pseudocardium sachalinense)

Hokkoku aka ebi oramaebi 北国赤蝦  Alaskan pink shrimp (Pandalusborealis)

Hon maguro (or kuromaguro) 黒鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunusthynnus)

Hotate gai 帆立貝Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis)

Kaki  牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Numagarei or wakagarei 沼鰈starry flounder (Platichthysstellatus)

Kegani 毛蟹horsehair crab (Erimacrusisenbeckii)

Kemushikajika 毛虫鰍 sea raven or toubetsukajika (Hemitripterusvillosus)

Kinki or Kichiji 黄血魚thornhead (Sebastolobusmacrochir)

Kitsune mebaru 狐目張 ormazoi fox jacopever (Sebastesvulpes)

Kuro gashiragarei 黒頭鰈 cresthead flounder (Pleuronectesschrenki)

Kurosoi 黒曹以 jacopever (Sebasteszonatusschlegeli)

Madara or tara 真鱈 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Magarei 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)

Mako garei真子鰈marbled flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Masu 鱒trout (there are many types of trout – see nijimasu, sakuramasu)

Matsukawa garei or tantaka or takanoha 松皮鰈 barfin flounder (Veraspermoseri)

Mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopusdofleini)

Muroaji 室鰺 Brown-striped mackerel scad (Decapterus muroadsi)

Niji masu虹鱒rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nishin 鰊Pacific herring (Clupeapallasii)

Sake 鮭salmon (Oncorhynchusketa)

Sakura masu or yamame 桜鱒 cherry salmon (Oncorhynchusmasou maso)

Sanma 秋刀魚Pacific saury (Cololabissaira)

Shako 蝦蛄 mantis shrimp (Oratosquillaoratoria)

Shiira 粃 mahi mahi (Coryphaenahippurus)

Shijimi 大和蜆 corbicula clam (Corbiculajaponica)

Shirauo 白魚 icefish (Salangichthys microdon)

Shishamo 柳葉魚 capelin (Spirinchus lanceolatus)

Souhachi 宗八鰈 pointhead flounder (Cleishenespinetorum)

Suketou dara 鯳Alaska pollack (Theragrachalcogramma)

Suna garei砂鰈 sandflounder (Limandapunctatissima)

Surumeika 鯣烏賊Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodescamtschaticus)

Ugui 鯎 Japanese dace (Tribolodon Hakonensis)

Wakasagi 若細魚 Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Yanagi no mai 柳の舞yellow rockfish (Sebastessteindachneri)