【Reading】かんびらめ

【English Name】Winter Hirame (Olive Flounder)

The white-fleshed fish that symbolizes the arrival of winter in the world of sushi is kan-birame (winter flounder). Flounder (hirame) landed in the depths of winter reach their peak in both flesh quality and fattiness across the year, possessing a dignity unmatched among white-fleshed fish. This species, classified in the family Paralichthyidae of the suborder Pleuronectoidei of the order Perciformes, has a record of being landed along coasts throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.

What makes the winter individuals stand out is the gap with summer. Flounder in the summer, having finished spawning, become markedly thin in flesh, with their taste declining to the point of earning the colloquial name "kuso-birame." In contrast, the flesh of kan-birame is permeated with an elegant fat, holding a restrained yet profound richness.

The representative preparation at sushi restaurants is thinly sliced (usubiki) nigiri, and the "engawa"—the part at the base of the dorsal and anal fins—garners high support as an exceptional cut combining fat and elasticity. The liver is also a connoisseur's delicacy.

Because the body has a structure flattened in the left-right direction, the ordinary three-piece filleting (sanmai-oroshi) is not suitable, and it is processed by five-piece filleting (gomai-oroshi). The main landing areas are Hokkaido, Aomori, and Ibaraki Prefectures, and farmed production is also thriving. Adults grow to about 1 m in total length and around 10 kg in weight.