【Reading】あきさば

【English Name】Autumn Mackerel (Aki Saba)

Early autumn, when chub mackerel (masaba, Scomber japonicus) accumulates the most fat of the year—individuals of this period are called "akisaba" (autumn mackerel) and prized. Tracing the route of its migration that circles the Pacific coast: first, in spring it finishes spawning off the coast of Izu, and heads north while chasing food. After amply fattening its body in the plankton-rich waters near Hokkaido, around September to October, when it turns back southward in preparation for the breeding season, the accumulated fat reaches thoroughly into the interior of the flesh, and the depth of flavor increases all the more.

The foremost way to savor akisaba in a sushi setting is shime-saba (vinegar-cured mackerel), in which the vinegar-derived acidity and the rich fat balance exquisitely. Saba-zushi prepared as a stick-sushi (bo-zushi) familiar in each production area, and grilled-mackerel sushi (yaki-saba-zushi) that adds the fragrance of searing, are also items that garner firm support. The richness of fat that stands out among the shiny-skinned fish (hikarimono) can be called the true essence of akisaba.

Rich in unsaturated fatty acids represented by DHA and EPA, it is an ingredient excellent in nutritional terms as well, but its rapid loss of freshness and the caution required against Anisakis cannot be neglected. It is essential to choose a restaurant with reliable discernment. In particular, the "returning mackerel" (modori no saba) delivered from off the coast of Hachinohe is renowned for its outstanding quality.