Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Unknown The gizzard shad (or dotted gizzard shad) is a small fish related to the herring. Konosirus punctatus schools in great numbers along the shores of Central Japan, in the waters off eastern China, and around the Korean Peninsula. Kohada sushi is a mainstay of edomae (Tokyo-style) sushi, this fish is extremely popular in the Kanto…
Source: Farmed, some wild Mercury Risk: Low Oysters (or kaki in Japanese) are becoming more and more common on menus in U.S. sushi restaurants, becoming as popular as some more traditional sushi fish. These bivalves are presented in a variety of forms and styles: roasted in the shell, raw on the half shell, or glistening with…
Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low Although the Japanese have traditionally used sardines in sushi, we are only just beginning to do so in the United States. As a result, it’s still relatively uncommon to see iwashi on the menu at your local sushi bar. Only in the last few years have Americans begun to recognize the sardine as…
Source: Farmed, some wild Mercury Risk: LowArctic char, a close relative of trout and salmon, has only found its way onto U.S. sushi menus in the past few years. Char is known as iwana in Japanese. Its delicate red flesh and firm texture are quickly earning it a place in the American palate. Arctic char is a cold-water fish…
Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low Most of the true squid sushi (ika) served in U.S. sushi restaurants is flown in from Japan, but occasionally domestic product is used, usually in appetizers. There are three main types of domestic squid available in the United States—long-fin, short-fin, and Humboldt or jumbo squid. Long-fin and short-fin squid are small…
Source: Farmed, Wild Mercury Risk: Low Scallops (hotate, in Japanese) hold a place of honor not just at the sushi bar but to the American seafood palate in general. Revered for their rich delicate flesh, scallops add a touch of decadence to many different types of cuisine. The major market distinction for this bivalve is size—large…
Two days ago, the gavel came down in an adjudication decision which may, more than any other recent hammer-strike, determine the future of fishing and sustainability of krill fisheries: The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) officially bestowed its blue-and-white fish-check label to a massive factory operator that targets Antarctic krill. This is not a good thing. Antarctic…
Good question… what is sustainability? The concept of sustainability has been bandied about so much that one could see it as almost meaningless. Formally introduced in 1987, it has over the last two decades taken on any number of meanings, many of which are competing and contradictory. It is sometimes said that in a room…
Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low With its triangular shape and swollen red foot, hokkigai is one of the most easily identifiable options at the sushi bar, alongside more popular fish options. Known both as the arctic surf clam and Stimpson’s surf clam, hokkigai is a long-lived burrowing bivalve usually caught in the waters off Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. Surf…
Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low (Atlantic fluke), Moderate (California & Pacific halibuts) The term hirame can refer to just about any white-fleshed, horizontally oriented, bottom-dwelling fish: halibut, sole, flounder, fluke, turbot, and others. The key to enjoying hirame (or any flatfish sushi) responsibly is to discern which particular fish is on your plate. The best option we can hope for here…