【Reading】こけひき

【English Name】Kokehiki / Scale Removal

Koke-hiki is a preparation technique for removing the scales attached to a fish.
In sushi and Japanese-cuisine kitchens, calling scales "koke" is a chef's distinctive turn of phrase; using the back (mine) of a knife or a dedicated implement, the scales are scraped off while stroking against the grain from the tail side toward the head side.

This step is especially essential for fish with hard scales, such as sea bream and Japanese sea bass; skipping it spoils the mouthfeel when the fish is finished as sashimi or nigiri. It is often confused with suki-biki (a technique for thin slicing that shaves off scales thinly together with the skin), but koke-hiki is distinguished by removing only the scales.

Tracing the etymology of "koke" leads to "kokera" (柿), meaning a wood chip or thin board. The name is said to have taken hold because the fish's scales resemble in shape the shavings produced when shaving wood.