【Reading】あぶりさーもん

【English Name】Aburi Salmon (Seared Salmon)

Searing only the surface of salmon with a torch flame for a short time while leaving the center raw—that is aburi salmon. The heating makes the fat gently rise to the surface, allowing one to enjoy the fragrance of the sear and the natural sweetness of the ingredient at once. The two-sidedness of the crisp seared surface and the smooth raw flesh spreading beneath it shapes the appeal of this topping.

As for how it is finished, the mainstream style is to torch salmon placed on shari with a cooking torch. It can be said to be a cooking method built on the same concept as yakishimo-zukuri in Japanese cuisine—cooking only the surface layer to transform the ingredient's flavor.

Against the backdrop of the rise of conveyor-belt sushi chains, it gained support and is now an indispensable item at sushi restaurants. Styles combining it with salt, lemon, or mayonnaise are also widely seen. The ingredients used are mainly farmed Atlantic salmon and trout salmon, and the fattier the individual, the more its excellent compatibility with searing stands out. Restaurants serving it in the form of a rice bowl (donburi) have also appeared, including in Iwate Prefecture.