【Reading】こはだ

【English Name】Gizzard Shad

Kohada is the name for the juvenile stage of the dotted gizzard shad (konoshiro), a saltwater fish of the family Dorosomatidae in the order Clupeiformes, and is a silver-skinned sushi topping representative of Edomae sushi. It is a "shusse-uo" (fish that changes name as it grows): in the Kanto region those of body length 4-5 cm are called "shinko," around 7-10 cm "kohada," about 13 cm "nakazumi," and 15 cm and above "konoshiro." As a sushi topping, the smaller it is the higher the price it fetches, and the first-of-season shinko can sometimes reach tens of thousands of yen or more per kilogram. The standard is to cure it with salt and vinegar before forming nigiri, and the flavor is greatly affected by the balance of the curing, so it is also said to be a fish that measures a chef's skill. The main fishing ground is Ise Bay, the largest, and although its peak season is summer to autumn, it is said to gain fat in winter.