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Silver / shiny fish (hikarimono)
"Shiny things" — blue-backed, silver-skinned fish such as mackerel, horse mackerel and gizzard shad, usually cured to tame their richness. The connoisseur's category.
Aji
Aji is Japanese horse mackerel — a silver hikarimono served fresh (not cured), bright and clean with a little ginger and scallion. Summer's quintessential shiny fish.
小鰭 kohadaKohada
Kohada is gizzard shad — the quintessential edomae hikarimono, always vinegar-cured, with beautiful silver-patterned skin. It's a benchmark of a chef's curing skill.
鯖 sabaSaba
Saba is mackerel — a rich, oily hikarimono almost always cured in salt and vinegar (shime-saba) for flavor and safety. Bold and a little funky, in the best way.
秋刀魚 sanmaSanma
Sanma is Pacific saury — the iconic oily fish of Japanese autumn. As sushi it's rich and bright; lately, warming seas have made it scarce and pricey.
鰆 sawaraSawara
Sawara is Japanese Spanish mackerel — a large, pale-fleshed mackerel that's soft, mild and richest in winter, usually lightly seared or cured. Its kanji hides the word for spring.
細魚 sayoriSayori
Sayori is the Japanese halfbeak — a slender, silver spring fish with a long needle-like lower jaw, prized for clean, lightly sweet, translucent flesh. Beautiful and delicate.
太刀魚 tachiuoTachiuo
Tachiuo is the largehead hairtail — a long, ribbon-shaped fish sheathed in brilliant silver, with soft, rich white flesh. The edible silver skin is the whole point.