【Reading】あさどれ

【English Name】morning catch

Asadore refers to fish and shellfish landed in the early morning of that day, and is used to emphasize their high freshness. At sushi shops and fresh-fish shops, expressions such as "asadore chokuso" (morning-caught, directly delivered) are often used to indicate that the material was delivered from the fishing port in a short time.

In general, the freshness of fish declines the more time passes after landing, so it is considered important to serve fish caught in the early-morning catch on the same day. The value of being morning-caught is said to be especially high for fish that spoil quickly, such as squid (ika), horse mackerel (aji), and sardine (iwashi).

However, morning-caught is not optimal for all sushi toppings. For fish such as tuna (maguro) and flounder (hirame), umami increases through a certain period of aging, so the freshly caught state is not necessarily the best. "Asadore" is an expression that holds particular meaning for toppings where freshness is emphasized.

At sushi shops in coastal areas near fishing ports, one sees the style of serving fish procured at the morning auction at lunch or dinner that same day. In recent years, with the development of logistics, the number of shops handling morning-caught fresh fish has increased even in urban areas far from the production sites.