Seafood ── Fish
Amadai
tilefish — a delicate pink fish prized in Kyoto as 'guji'
A pink-skinned fish with a subtle sweetness, known in Kyoto as 'guji'. Fish caught in Wakasa Bay were lightly salted and carried inland along the old Saba Kaido route, a history that made lightly-salted Wakasa amadai prized in Kyoto cuisine.
- White fish
What it's made of
Its squared-off head is said to have earned it the old name 'kutsuna', which shifted over time into 'guji'. Pale pink-skinned, the flesh holds a lot of moisture, stays soft, and comes off the bone easily. Mild and delicate, salting is said to sharpen its umami noticeably. Its scales are thin and soft enough that some preparations leave them on to eat.
How it's made
The signature preparation, 'wakasa-yaki', splits the fish along the back, salts it lightly, and grills it scales-on. Kelp-curing, sake-steaming and miso-pickling are also favored, all leaning into its moisture-rich flesh. Salting is said to firm the meat and draw out excess water, concentrating the flavor. Grilled until the scales turn crisp, the skin itself becomes fragrant enough to eat.
Why it took this shape
Wakasa Bay is said to have once carried the title 'mikeguni', a province permitted to supply food to the emperor. Fish caught here were lightly salted and carried on foot along the old Saba Kaido route to Kyoto, and it's that salting technique that is said to have made Wakasa amadai a prized ingredient in Kyoto cuisine. The very existence of a road linking sea and capital is said to have raised this fish's worth.
Before you go
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- Roadside stations, direct-sale stands, and marketsHow to enjoy buying food near where it's produced, visiting and shopping at morning markets and fish markets, what to expect at farm stands, and finding local food at roadside stations (michi-no-eki).
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Dishes in the same style
- AinameA white-fleshed fish of rocky shores, served raw or simmered in old Edomae style. Sedentary by nature, it varies by region, and in some Tohoku ports its liver is eaten too — a fish long prized as a local catch.
- TorafuguA premium fish whose toxin requires a licensed chef to prepare. Sliced paper-thin as tessa sashimi or simmered in hot pot — fish raised in fast strait currents firm up notably, and ports with large markets refined the knife skill needed to serve it safely.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Known for it here
- Known for it here: Fukui, Obama
As the starting point of the old 'Saba Kaido' route, this port salted tilefish from Wakasa Bay lightly and carried it on foot to Kyoto.
Contrast
- SabaA blue-backed fish fattest from autumn into winter, grilled with salt, simmered in miso, or vinegar-cured. Fish held still by fast currents rather than migrating firm up and fatten further, giving rise to named, pole-and-line branded catches.
- HataA broad family of large warm-water fish with firm white flesh suited to hot pot and sashimi. Concentrated in warmer southern waters, it is caught mainly off western Japan, with individual species like kue especially prized.