【Reading】かんざわら

【English Name】Winter Japanese Spanish Mackerel

Kan-zawara (winter Spanish mackerel) is a name referring to Spanish mackerel (sawara) landed from late autumn into winter. The notation "鰆," which incorporates the character for spring, derives from the fish's habit of approaching the coast during the spawning season and thereby becoming easily noticeable; in fact, the peak of its flavor arrives in the cold season.

It is a carnivorous fish that grows large even among the Scombridae family, drawing the eye with a silhouette that extends thinly sideways from head to tail. It is one of the "shusse-uo" (fish that change names as they grow according to body size): young fish of about 40–50 cm are called "sagoshi," and once grown to 60 cm or more, they receive the name "sawara." The largest individual on record reached 115 cm in total length and 12 kg in weight.

In terms of composition it is in the red-flesh (akami) category, but because its appearance is pale in color, it is often mistaken for a white-fleshed fish. In the field of sushi, nigiri made from winter kan-zawara prepared as thin slices (usuzukuri) or kelp-cured (kobujime) is prized. In Okayama Prefecture and its vicinity, a food culture of savoring high-freshness individuals as sashimi has been handed down.

Having reached winter, the Spanish mackerel becomes sluggish in activity and sinks into the deep offshore waters, so catch volumes drop sharply. The harder it becomes to obtain, the more its rarity increases, and kan-zawara is counted among the high-grade fish ingredients. Saikyo-yaki and aburi (searing) are also representative winter-only ways of tasting it.