Tuna sashimi. (Photo: Akihiro)

Bluefin tuna remains popular in Japan but not at the top

JAPAN
Monday, October 16, 2017, 23:00 (GMT + 9)

A recent survey to 1,000 Japanese consumers shows that over 70 per cent choose to grill fish fillets while 63.8 per cent and 50.4 per cent go for sashimi and sushi, respectively, when asked how they liked their fish prepared.

On being asked the type of fish they prefer, a third of respondents selected shishamo, which made it into the top ten. Shishamo are usually grilled whole, and eaten with lemon, salt and all of their bones still in place.

Another finding revealed by the survey is that Japanese yellowtail can usually be found in sushi restaurants or as sashimi, it is also a delicious winter food when it is slow-stewed with soy sauce, mirin and sugar alongside vegetables like Japanese daikon radish.

Sea bream is associated with good luck and celebrations, and as such is often served at weddings or festive occasions but there is no reason not to celebrate any day of the week with a fish that is delicious both in sashimi form and grilled.

Respondents of the survey said that bonito flakes are delicious on takyoyaki or okonomiyaki, where only the outside of the fish is grilled or flash-fried, and the middle remains raw.

With a slightly meaty texture, and slathered in rich sauce, eel on a bed of rice makes for a filling meal, particularly as the weather turns cooler but eating it in summer is alleged to help Japanese people beat the insane heat and humidity.

The survey also reveals that one of the best ways to eat mackerel is in battera, an Osakan specialty where mackerel pickled in vinegar is coupled with vinegared rice and konbu kelp.

As well as sushi, or in pressed oshizushi, horse mackerel is often deep-fried.

Pacific saury is strongly associated with autumn and like shishamo, saury is one of the easiest fish in the list to cook because it is usually just grilled whole.

The survey shows that the favourite fish among the men answering it, bluefin tuna, missed out on the top spot and was in the second one.

Also known as the dog salmon, chum salmon is a breakfast favourite, particularly at Japanese hotels, and can also be found in bento boxed lunches all over the place. But it is also great in ochazuke, where it is flaked and mixed into rice with green tea.

No beer-battered haddock in the list but more than two-thirds of Japanese women answered that they like salmon.
 

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