【Reading】あやかりだい

【English Name】Ayakari-dai (Honorary Sea Bream)

"Ayakari-dai" (lucky-namesake sea bream) is the general term for fish that include the character "dai" (鯛, sea bream) in their name but, taxonomically, do not belong to the genus Pagrus (family Sparidae). Because sea bream has long been prized in Japan as a fish indispensable to celebratory occasions, the custom spread of naming fish with similar shapes and colors "××-dai." The origin of the names is said to be the wish to share in the luck of the "medetai" (auspicious) fish.

It is said that there are over 200 species of fish bearing the name "dai" in the waters near Japan, but genuine sea bream belonging to the family Sparidae are limited to a very few, such as madai, kurodai, kidai, and chidai. Representative ayakari-dai include kinmedai (family Berycidae), amadai (family Branchiostegidae), ishidai (family Oplegnathidae), and ebodai (family Centrolophidae).

At sushi restaurants, these ayakari-dai are each popular for their own distinctive flavors. Kinmedai is characterized by a rich sweetness from its fat, and amadai by the refined taste of its white flesh, and both are highly regarded as sushi toppings. When "dai" is written on the topping case, it generally refers to madai, but this can also differ by region or establishment.