What is sawara in sushi?鰆
This time, I looked into the various names and seasons for sushi sawara.
How to call sawara
【sawara】Spanish mackerel サワラ 鰆
Spanish mackerel is a type of saltwater fish and is a carnivorous fish characterized by its elongated body. As the Spanish mackerel grows, its name changes. Fish ranging from sagoshi or sagochi (4.50cm) to nagi (5.60cm) and larger than nagi are called Japanese Spanish mackerel”. In other areas, it is calledsara”, yanagi (young Japanese Spanish mackerel), and in Ishikawa Prefecture, it is sometimes called marlin and other fish names. It is also known as Honsawara” in the Tokyo area andGoshi or Zebra” in Kochi Prefecture.
The peak season for sawara
The season for Spanish mackerel (Japanese mackerel) varies depending on the region. Specifically, in the Kanto region, the season is from December to February, when the fat is high before the spawning season. On the other hand, in the Kansai region, the season is considered to be from early spring to early summer because from May to June, they rush from the open ocean to the Seto Inland Sea to spawn and can catch a lot of them.
Spanish mackerel is a large fish that belongs to the mackerel family2. The size of this fish varies from 40cm to 1m, and its name changes depending on its size. In the Kanto region, the standard length is 50 cm, and the smaller ones are called sagochi, and the larger ones are called sawara. In Kansai, small trees are called sagoshi and willow, and those over 70 cm are called Japanese Spanish mackerel.
