Seafood ── Fish
Hirame
olive flounder — a lean, prized winter flatfish
The flatfish distinguished from karei by 'eyes on the left', at its best in winter. Wild fish raised in rough surf develop a notably firm, chewy bite, and thin-sliced sashimi is often kombu-cured to deepen its flavor.
- White fish
Lineage
What it's made of
A flatfish with both eyes on the left side of its head, told apart from karei by the saying 'hirame on the left, karei on the right'. At its best in winter, its translucent white flesh delivers a notably firm, chewy bite raw, and the fatty strip along the fin base, engawa, is treated as a cut apart. In summer the flesh turns watery, and its reputation drops so far a saying claims 'not even a dog will eat summer hirame'.
How it's made
Wild fish raised in rough surf are said to build the most muscle and the firmest bite, and thin-sliced sashimi kombu-cured to draw in the kelp's umami keeps that chewiness while adding depth. Resting the fish a few hours after bleeding to let it mature is also common practice. The engawa strip is often cut out separately and prized on its own as a nigiri sushi topping.
Why it took this shape
Whether on the Sea of Japan or Pacific side, it shares the same habit of lying in wait on sandy seabeds for small fish, and rougher seas are said to raise firmer-fleshed fish. Coastal waters off Aomori and Fukushima, with strong currents and cold water, are known for landing hirame with especially firm flesh. As water cools in winter the fish grows calmer and tends to carry more fat.
Before you go
- How to shop at a supermarketHow to choose prepared foods, sashimi, and packaged sushi, when discount stickers tend to appear, region-only specialties, buying by weight, the checkout and bagging flow, and sampling etiquette at a local supermarket.
- 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).
- Foods to look for in springA guide to foods often seen in Japan around spring — early bonito, bamboo shoots, sakura mochi, hanami bento, new-season tea, and butterbur sprouts — with rough pointers for finding them.
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.
- AmadaiA 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.