【Reading】ぐじ

【English Name】Amadai (Tilefish)

Guji is a local name used in Fukui and Kyoto Prefectures when referring to tilefish (amadai). Its scientific standard Japanese name is aka-amadai, a white-fleshed fish belonging to the family Branchiostegidae of the order Perciformes. Its habitat is widely distributed across waters from southern Japan to around the South China Sea.

There are several theories about the origin of the name: that the word "gujiguji," expressing the soft texture of its flesh, was transformed; that it derives from the sound the fish makes when caught; or that "kutsuto" (a term referring to the shape of its head) changed.

Tracing its history, the Wakasa region (around Obama City, Fukui Prefecture) long gained fame as a major production area, and the fish was delivered to Kyoto's kitchens by cart transport over the mountains. Between 1917 and 1921 the Obama Line railway opened, after which the transport means switched to rail.

Because its flesh is delicate and deteriorates quickly, it is caught one fish at a time carefully using a bottom longline (soko-haenawa). After landing, it is immediately chilled in low-temperature seawater, and pre-treatment to preserve quality is essential. As a cooking method, "matsukasa-yaki" (grilling with the scales still on) is traditional, where the easily crumbling flesh is covered and protected by the scales.

As a branded product, "Wakasa guji," requiring a weight of 500 g or more and longline catch, is well known. In November 2020 a premium grade, "Wakasa guji kiwami," treated by live-killing (ikejime) and nerve-removal (shinkei-nuki) at 800 g or more, appeared. Meanwhile, in the Tango area of Kyoto Prefecture, "Tango guji" was certified as a Kyoto Brand Product in 2012.