What is isaki in sushi?イサキ
This time, I looked into the various names and seasons for sushi isaki.
How to call isaki
【isaki】grunt イサキ
One of the origins of the name grunt is from the “iso fish,” a fish that lives on the shore. Also, when describing grunt in English, the word grunt (grunt, whine) is included, but this name seems to have come from the gruff sound of the grunt.
There are several other names for the grunt, and it is known by completely different names such as Oxeigo” in the Tohoku region,Isagi” in Tokyo, and Uzumushi” in the Kinki region. It is rare in Wakayama Prefecture, where it is calledKajiyagoroshi”, and the name comes from the fact that the bones of the grunt were so hard that an old blacksmith died when he ate it.
The peak season for isaki
Grunts are caught throughout the year, but they are especially in season from early summer to summer, from May to August. At this time of year, grunts are in spawning season, and the period before that is said to be the most delicious season. In particular, grunts around June are called rainy season grunts” orstraw grunts,” and are traded at high prices in the market.
Grunts are rockfish of the order Perciformes, subfamily Perciformes, and prefer coastal areas south of central Honshu where warm currents flow, and live in rocky reef areas with a lot of seaweed. During the day, they hide near seaweed, but at night they gather in groups and feed near the water surface.
The grunt has a total length of about 40 cm, weighs about 1 kg, and is characterized by its elongated, spindle-shaped body. Young fish have yellow stripes on their bodies, but as they grow, the stripes disappear, and the dorsal surface becomes maroon, and the face and gills become yellow.
Additionally, the price of grunt is highest during the summer season. The average price for seasonal grunts is around 900 yen to 1,700 yen per kilogram, and the larger the grunt, the higher the price, and the price of fresh grunts is especially high.
