Suzuki (Sea Bass) Sushi

Suzuki (Japanese sea bass)

White Fish & Salmon

Share Post LINE

Order Perciformes, Family Lateolabracidae, Genus Lateolabrax

A large predatory fish that is mainly active at night, abundant in inner bays and also living in rivers. Its name changes as it grows, and when fully grown it can reach nearly 1 meter. "Sea bass" is the English name for suzuki, and it is highly popular not only as food but also as a target for sport fishing.

Because suzuki live along the coasts and rivers of the Japanese archipelago, they are caught throughout the year, but the peak season is said to be from the end of the rainy season into summer, when they take on fat from heavy feeding before spawning, or from autumn to early winter, when plump-bellied suzuki are caught. It is said that the name suzuki came from its clean flesh that looks as if it has been rinsed (susugi) clean, and indeed it is a white-fleshed fish with no bloodline. It is also a "shusse-uo" whose name changes with size, going koppa, then seigo, then fukko (hane), then suzuki. Larger ones are more expensive, but they are characteristically delicious regardless of size. Also, the order Perciformes, which bears the name suzuki (suzuki-moku in Japanese), is the world's largest group of fish, including tuna, horse mackerel, and mackerel, but the English name of "suzuki-moku" is "Perciformes" and the English name of "suzuki" is "sea bass"; the name suzuki is unique to Japan, and apart from belonging to the order Perciformes there is almost no connection. The shusse-uo suzuki was traditionally a high-grade fish, but its value fell along with the pollution of inner bays. Cases of declining value are often seen, such as ones with an off-smell caught from polluted habitats or ones that died during fishing being sold very cheaply, but those caught in clean waters have excellent flavor, and the ones from the inner Boso area of Chiba Prefecture and from Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture command high prices, while the plump-bellied suzuki from Lake Shinji in Shimane Prefecture is renowned, having been selected as one of the "Seven Delicacies of Lake Shinji."

Summer Suzuki Sushi, Enjoyed Even by the People of Old Edo

The white flesh of suzuki has a transparent quality, and its texture is somewhat similar to that of sea bream (tai)—soft, free of any off-taste, and light, yet possessing a distinctive flavor within its delicate taste. Because it is caught in large numbers along the coast, it has been popular in urban areas since the Edo period and has become one of the representative sushi toppings of Edomae sushi. Because its flavor is basically delicate, it is not only made into nigiri raw, but also sometimes cured with kombu (kombu-jime) to deepen its umami, or aged for about three days before being made into nigiri. However, wild suzuki before spawning in summer and plump-bellied suzuki from autumn to early winter are in a class of their own. They are extremely high in fat and far more delicious than suzuki of other seasons, which is why it is called a premium topping representative of summer. Furthermore, among the suzuki, the blackfin sea bass (hira-suzuki), which lives in the open ocean, has no off-smell like the inner-bay suzuki, and with its refined, unobtrusive flavor like that of red sea bream (madai), as well as its texture and beautiful coloring, it is one of the high-grade toppings available year-round.

Suzuki Sushi, Delicious Even Brushed with Tsume Glaze

A Curious Incident Involving Suzuki

A couple visiting a high-end restaurant for the first time ordered the recommended course. When the waiter brought out the sauteed sea bass and was about to place it on the table saying "Here is the suzuki," the man said "Ah, I'm Toyoda," and the woman introduced herself saying "I'm Murayama" (mistaking "suzuki" for the common surname Suzuki). The waiter, a little flustered, reportedly explained, "I'm Hayakawa, the chief. This is today's main dish, sauteed suzuki (sea bass)."
The suzuki, the largest faction in the fish world, and Suzuki, one of the most common surnames in Japan. There are plenty of curious incidents over the name!