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Tai (Sea Bream) Sushi I- Red Sea Bream

Madai / Red snapper / Red sea bream

White Fish & Salmon

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Perciformes, Sparidae, Pagrus

A carnivorous saltwater fish that lives widely from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and across the Pacific Ocean, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. Young fish stay in relatively shallow waters, while adults inhabit sandy bottoms and rocky reefs at depths of 30 to 200 meters. In Japan, when people say "tai" (sea bream), they generally mean this species.

The red sea bream lives throughout the entire Japanese archipelago except subtropical regions, and is also widely distributed around the world, including China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia. With its auspicious name and vivid red color, the sea bream is regarded as the "king of a hundred fish" in Japan, but it is not necessarily a special fish elsewhere in the world; in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and other countries it is eaten as a common fish. Since ancient times, the red sea bream was such a high-class fish that it was used at celebratory banquets of the shogun's house, but as aquaculture advanced, prices have fallen in recent years and it can now even be seen at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants. Farm-raised ones are fattier, and wild ones are not necessarily fatty, but wild fish are valued for their more vivid appearance and milder, less distinctive flavor compared to farmed ones, and they remain a high-class fish today. The red sea bream is a large fish that can reach 120 centimeters, but for food, those up to about 30 to 70 centimeters are distributed, with those around 50 centimeters fetching high prices, while excessively large ones become cheaper. Those around 20 centimeters have a different value: palm-sized ones are served as "kasugo," a vinegar-cured sushi topping, and are indispensable in Edomae sushi. The season is said to be from autumn to spring, but because aquaculture is also thriving, it can be enjoyed as a sushi topping throughout the year. Spring red sea bream just before spawning is prized and called "sakuradai" (cherry blossom sea bream), but autumn sea bream, represented by "Akashi-dai," is also called "momiji-dai" (autumn-leaf sea bream) and is synonymous with great taste.

Red sea bream favored by the Japanese

The white flesh of the red sea bream is high in protein and low in fat. It is light yet has a moderate sweetness and firm texture, with little fishy smell or fatty quirk, making it an easy-to-eat fish for Japanese people, who do not favor fat as much as Westerners do. As a sushi topping it is often pressed raw, but the skin side may be scalded with boiling water to make "kawashimo," or a glaze (tsume) may be brushed on to enhance the flavor. Like many fish, the finest sushi topping is one that has been kept swimming in a holding tank for a certain period and then killed by ikejime, but the price is exceptional too.

Red sea bream sushi with the skin side scalded (kawashimo)

Why is taiyaki shaped like a sea bream?

Taiyaki is a snack derived from imagawayaki, but it is said that the brothers who founded the dedicated taiyaki shop "Naniwaya" (established in 1909) shaped it like a sea bream after much trial and error. They tried other auspicious shapes such as turtles and rabbits, but those did not sell; only when they made it a sea bream did it finally become popular. You cannot eat turtles or rabbits, but a sea bream, though cheap, could be enjoyed just like the luxurious real sea bream, which surely captured the hearts of ordinary people of the time. Its surreal, endearing form is also unforgettable once you see it.
As an aside, it is said that taiyaki baked one at a time are called "wild-caught" and those baked several at once are called "farm-raised." The hero of the song "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun" is actually a "wild-caught" one, and knowing this, you can sense his feelings of wanting to become a real sea bream!