【Reading】おこぜ

【English Name】Stonefish

Okoze is a name referring mainly to the oni-okoze (devil stinger; scientific name Inimicus japonicus), a high-grade white-fleshed fish classified among the scorpionfishes. Its body length is around 30 cm; it has no scales and is greatly characterized by strong venomous spines on its dorsal fin.

Its range extends along the Pacific coast from Aomori Prefecture to Kyushu, on the Sea of Japan side south of Niigata, and further into the Seto Inland Sea and the East China Sea. Distribution has also been confirmed in the seas near the Korean Peninsula, China, and Taiwan. It dwells on sandy-muddy bottoms from shallow inner bays to depths of about 200 m, and is nocturnal, preying on shrimp and small fish.

The spawning period is May to August, but it is said to taste best mainly during the cold season around December to April, when it builds up fat and its liver grows large. As the saying "fugu in winter, okoze in summer" suggests, it is a fish long beloved by gourmets.

Its flesh is a refined white meat without any off-flavor, and thin slicing (usu-zukuri) is the representative way to eat it. The skin is rich in gelatin, and when blanched (yubiki) it offers a plump, springy texture. In nigiri sushi it is often served with salt and sudachi citrus. Because it has a large head and little edible portion, the yield is poor, and the price tends to be on the high side.

When preparing it, the spines of the dorsal fin, which have venom glands, must be removed first. Because a sting causes intense pain and swelling, considerable caution is required.