【Reading】したみ

【English Name】Shitami / Lower body fish

Shitami refers to the half-body of a fish that is positioned on the cutting-board side (the lower side) when filleting. As a paired term, there is uwami, which means the half-body that is facing up when the knife is inserted.

For ordinary fish, three-piece filleting (san-mai oroshi) divides the fish into upper body, lower body, and central bone, but for fish that are flattened side to side, such as flounder (hirame) and flatfish (karei), five-piece filleting (go-mai oroshi) is used. In five-piece filleting, the fish is broken down into the back and belly of the upper body, the back and belly of the lower body, and the central bone, for a total of five pieces. When the engawa (frilled fin meat) is taken separately, it becomes seven-piece filleting.

In the sushi trade, the lower body is said to require care in handling because it was in contact with the cutting board, more so than the upper body. Depending on the species, slight differences in flesh quality and fat content can arise between the upper and lower bodies, and artisans discern the characteristics of each as they do their preparation.

Note that the term shitami is a general-purpose term used regardless of the type of fish, and it is widely understood not only at sushi restaurants but also at fishmongers and in cooking in general.