【Reading】めきき

【English Name】Mekiki (quality assessment)

"Mekiki" refers to the ability to discern the quality of goods, or to a person who possesses that ability. In the world of sushi, it is valued as the skill of judging the freshness, fat content, flesh quality, and color and luster of seafood by sight.

In market procurement, the ability of wholesalers and sushi chefs to instantly assess the condition of a fish is said to be cultivated through many years of experience. They judge quality by comprehensively evaluating multiple elements such as the clarity of the eyes, the color of the gills, and the firmness and luster of the body surface.

This term is used in a wide range of fields beyond the sushi industry, similarly applied to the appraisal of antiques and the selection of musical works. In the food and beverage industry, the major izakaya chain operator Monteroza runs a seafood-themed business called "Mekiki no Ginji," adopting the term as a brand name that emphasizes direct shipment from Tsukiji.

At a sushi restaurant, the level of "mekiki" skill in selecting high-quality toppings at the procurement stage greatly influences the quality of the sushi served. For this reason, repeatedly visiting the market during one's training to acquire a discerning eye is considered fundamental for a chef.