【Reading】とりがい

【English Name】Japanese cockle

The torigai (cockle, Fulvia mutica) is a kind of bivalve classified in the family Cardiidae. There are various theories about the origin of the name, including that its edible part, the foot, resembles a bird's beak in shape, or that it has a flavor close to chicken ("tori" means bird).

Its range spans from Mutsu Bay in Aomori Prefecture to the coasts of Kyushu, and it is also found along the coasts of the Korean Peninsula and China. Muddy bottoms of inner bays such as Tokyo Bay, Mikawa Bay, Ise Bay, and the Seto Inland Sea are the main fishing grounds. It is hermaphroditic, lives about 1 year, and grows to a shell length of about 7-9 cm.

The sushi topping uses the foot part, also called "ohaguro" (blackened teeth). It is generally opened into an isosceles triangle, quickly blanched, and made into nigiri. Its appeal is a light bite and a faint drifting sweetness, and the thicker and darker in color, the higher the price.

Its season is said to be early spring on the Pacific side and summer on the Sea of Japan side. With little quality loss from freezing, frozen imports from Korea and China circulate throughout the year. Kyoto Prefecture has established aquaculture techniques and ships under the "Tango Torigai" brand. Aquaculture is also undertaken in Nanao Bay, Ishikawa Prefecture.