【Reading】ふな

【English Name】Crucian Carp (Funa)

A freshwater fish belonging to the genus Carassius of the family Cyprinidae, widely distributed in the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs of the Eurasian continent. Body length is roughly 10-40 cm depending on the species, and although it resembles the carp (koi) in appearance, it lacks barbels around the mouth. In Japan, several species have been confirmed, including gin-buna, kin-buna, gengorou-buna, and nigoro-buna. In connection with sushi, the funazushi of Shiga Prefecture is important: it is the representative narezushi, in which nigoro-buna, a species endemic to Lake Biwa, is salt-cured and then fermented with rice over a long period. The flesh is white and light in flavor, and cooking methods are diverse, but eating it raw or insufficiently heated carries a parasite risk such as liver fluke and gnathostoma.