【Reading】ほんみる

【English Name】Mirugai (Horse Clam)

Hon-miru is the sushi-restaurant name for the large bivalve "mirukui" (geoduck/gaper) belonging to the family Mactridae. To distinguish it from the substitute shiro-miru (namigai), it is called "hon-miru," and it is known as one of the highest-grade shellfish among sushi neta.

The shell length reaches about 15 cm, and it is characterized by a thick siphon protruding from the shell covered with a black membrane. The origin of the name is that a green alga called miru (sea pine) attaches to the tip of the siphon, and because it looks as if the shellfish is eating the alga, it was named "mirukui" (sea-pine eater).

The part used as sushi neta is mainly the siphon, which is blanched, has its black outer skin peeled off, and is then made into nigiri. With its distinctive crunchy bite and a refined sweetness accompanied by a briny aroma, it can fetch prices even higher than abalone. The domestic catch has sharply decreased, making it a rare item one can hardly encounter outside high-end sushi restaurants.

In recent years, live imports from Korea and related species from the USA are distributed, but domestic ones from Mikawa Bay and the Seto Inland Sea receive an exceptional evaluation. It should be noted that what is served as "miru-gai" at conveyor-belt sushi and the like is mostly shiro-miru (namigai).