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Saba (Mackerel) Sushi

Mackerel (Saba)

Silver-skinned Fish

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鯖寿司

Order Perciformes, Family Scombridae, Genus Scomber

The three commonly distributed mackerel species are chub mackerel (masaba), blue mackerel (gomasaba), and Atlantic mackerel (taiheiyou saba). The peak season for masaba is autumn and winter, with flavor declining in summer, while gomasaba maintains consistent quality year-round. Atlantic mackerel is imported from Norway, known for its rigorous quality control.

Mackerel grow to about 50 cm and inhabit subtropical and temperate waters worldwide, including the seas around the Japanese archipelago, with a lifespan of about 6 to 7 years. They are migratory fish that move northward from spring to summer and southward from autumn to winter, with northbound and southbound mackerel differing in fat content.

The peak season is autumn to winter, and among these, autumn mackerel that have finished spawning are particularly fatty with firm flesh and exceptionally good flavor, known as a byword for deliciousness. The DHA and EPA in mackerel are effective in preventing arteriosclerosis and thrombosis, and mackerel in season are especially rich in unsaturated fatty acids like DHA and EPA, as well as vitamins, potassium, and iron.

In the era before modern refrigeration, mackerel was preserved through salting, vinegar-curing, or grilling and transported from coastal areas to inland regions via "saba kaido" (mackerel roads) throughout Japan. Mackerel was originally a fish that spoiled so quickly there was a saying "saba no iki-gusare" (mackerel rots while still alive), but recent technological developments have made it possible to obtain relatively fresh mackerel almost anywhere. Well-known premium brands include "Seki-saba" and regional brands like "Kinka-saba," as well as "Shimizu-saba" and "Kubiore-saba" (neck-snapped mackerel), which are renowned for being fresh enough to eat raw.

Previously, masaba (chub mackerel) was the representative mackerel, but in recent years gomasaba (blue mackerel) has also become more common. Gomasaba can be distinguished from masaba by the black dots on its belly, which masaba lacks. For Edomae nigiri sushi, vinegar-cured saba is typically masaba, while raw saba is mainly gomasaba.

Various Types of Mackerel Sushi

Beyond shime-saba (vinegar-cured mackerel) and raw mackerel nigiri, there are mackerel sushi varieties from all over Japan. These include Nara (Yoshino)'s "kakinoha-zushi" (persimmon leaf sushi), Toyama and Wakayama (Kishu)'s "sasa-zushi" (bamboo leaf sushi), Gifu's "hoba-zushi" (magnolia leaf sushi), and Hiroshima's "sugata-zushi" (whole-fish sushi) made by stuffing vinegared rice into salted mackerel. Even battera (pressed sushi), which originally used konoshiro (gizzard shad) in Osaka's Matsumae-zushi, now uses mackerel. Along with advances in freezing technology, mackerel sushi continues to evolve.
Mackerel kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi) Mackerel kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf sushi)

The Tale of Autumn Mackerel, the Bride, and the Mother-in-Law

"Don't feed autumn mackerel to your daughter-in-law" is a proverb expressing a spiteful mother-in-law refusing to share the most delicious food with her son's wife. However, there is actually another interpretation: "Mackerel spoils easily and can cause food poisoning, so it's better not to feed it to a pregnant daughter-in-law." This version is considerably kinder than the first. Which interpretation applies likely depends on the relationship between the bride and mother-in-law, but one would hope for the latter!

"Don't feed autumn mackerel to your daughter-in-law" is a proverb expressing a spiteful mother-in-law refusing to share the most delicious food with her son's wife. However, there is actually another interpretation: "Mackerel spoils easily and can cause food poisoning, so it's better not to feed it to a pregnant daughter-in-law." This version is considerably kinder than the first. Which interpretation applies likely depends on the relationship between the bride and mother-in-law, but one would hope for the latter!

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