【Reading】やなぎがれい

【English Name】Willowy flounder

Yanagi-garei is the common name for yanagimushi-garei, a saltwater fish belonging to the family Pleuronectidae (righteye flounders). It is said to have come to be called this because its slender, thin body resembles a willow leaf. Its body length reaches up to about 35 cm, and it lives on sandy-muddy bottoms at depths of around 100–200 m.

Its distribution extends along the Sea of Japan coast from southern Hokkaido to the northwest of Kyushu, and on the Pacific side from Funka Bay to around the offing of Choshi, and its presence is also confirmed in the East China Sea and the Bohai Sea.

It bears the nickname "queen of the flounders," and its appeal lies in its light flavor combined with the refined richness of fat just beneath the skin. Its season is from autumn to winter when it carries roe, with its market value rising mainly around October to January. Distribution as fresh fish is limited, and it often circulates in dried form such as ichiya-boshi (overnight-dried). Its main production areas are Niigata, Fukui, Shimane, Tottori, and Ibaraki Prefectures, and the Sanriku region. Fukui-produced ones are known as "Wakasa-garei" and Shimane-produced ones as "sasa-garei," and in Niigata it is even certified as a prefectural food brand. It is suited to a wide range of cooking methods such as sashimi, sushi, tempura, and salt-grilling, but the way of overnight-drying and then grilling is especially beloved.