【Reading】しめさば

【English Name】Shime-Saba (Vinegared Mackerel)

Shime-saba is a traditional Japanese cooking method, and the dish itself, in which mackerel (saba) is cured with salt and vinegar to finish. In the Kansai area the name "kizushi" (raw sushi) is widely used, and in the Kanto area the name "shime-saba."

In the basic preparation, the mackerel's head and innards are removed and it is filleted into three pieces, first pickled in salt for about one night. After that, the salt is rinsed off and it is soaked in vinegar to complete. There are many different schools of thought regarding the amounts of salt and vinegar and the soaking time.

Originally born from the wisdom of preservation, it is said to have originated when mackerel caught on the Sea of Japan side was salted to deliver it to the capital of Kyoto.

As for how to eat it, it is generally enjoyed as slices on their own, without rice, accompanied by wasabi or ginger. Placed on vinegared rice it becomes nigiri sushi, and it is also the ingredient for saba-zushi and battera. Besides mackerel, it is sometimes made similarly with Spanish mackerel (sawara), horse mackerel (aji), and sea bream (tai).

Note that the concentration of vinegar used in cooking does not kill anisakis, so for safety it is recommended to undergo a freezing process of 24 hours or more.