【Reading】しんこ

【English Name】Very Young Gizzard Shad

Shinko refers to the juveniles of the konoshiro (dotted gizzard shad, scientifically Konosirus punctatus); in the Kanto region those of about 4-5 cm in body length fall into this category. The konoshiro is a representative "shusse-uo" (promotion fish) called by different names at each growth stage, with the names shifting in the order shinko → kohada (7-10 cm) → nakazumi (about 13 cm) → konoshiro (15 cm and over).

Belonging to the family Dorosomatidae of the order Clupeiformes, this species is a saltwater fish that lives in schools in the brackish environments of inner bays and river mouths of East Asia. The body is a laterally flattened leaf shape, bluish-green on the back and lustrous silvery-white on the belly.

In the world of Edomae sushi, shinko has been highly prized as a sushi topping heralding the arrival of summer. It is the foremost of the vinegar-cured "hikarimono" (shiny fish), and when the first catch of the season appears at market, prices sometimes exceed tens of thousands of yen per kilogram. Because the flesh is extremely small and delicate, the difficulty of preparation is considerable, and since a single adjustment of salt and vinegar can dramatically affect the flavor, it is regarded as one yardstick for measuring a craftsman's skill.

Major catch areas include around Ise Bay, the western Seto Inland Sea, and central Kyushu.