Saury, because it is abundant in autumn and has a slender body like a knife. In neighboring Japan, it is considered to be the classic representative of the "autumn taste", which seems so ordinary, but has enough self-confidence to become the "best of the heart" that many people can hardly give up.
Do you like grilled saury? |
01
Saury
/ A lifetime of migration, a fish knows autumn /
Cololabis saira, a small marine fish of the saury family of the order Saury [zhēn], is an extremely common edible fish in East Asia, with a huge catch that is "inexpensive". The saury has a slender head and tail, a blue back, a silvery belly, a plain and neat, and a light pale blue longitudinal band in the center of the body, which can grow to about 30 cm long.
Autumn knife, beautiful sea fish |
Saury is widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean and is a typical surface migratory fish. It can be seen from the beak of the "ground bag" fish whose jaw is longer than its upper jaw that they mainly feed on plankton and crustaceans, especially shrimp. Just as mackerel is the messenger of early spring, ayu is a special object of midsummer, and amberjack is a gift of winter, saury (サンマ) is also regarded in Japan as "autumn poetry".
Saury is a | "faithful autumn fish"
Every year in late autumn and early winter, the young fish in the sea of Tokiwa [pán] overwinter under the protection of warm currents; in the spring they will follow the Kuroshio north to the Kuril Islands, where plankton is abundant, and the nourishment of the whole summer makes their posture more and more plump; in the summer and autumn, flocks of autumn knives accompany the cold current of the Thousand Islands to the south and return to their birthplace. The short life of the saury follows the natural cycle of foraging in the north and breeding in the south.
The Saury Migration Route in the Pacific Ocean |
The best season for saury is naturally autumn. Just as people call the fat tuna belly "Dabukou", at this time for breeding a big move, plump "age-appropriate unbelied" saury fish, also often known as "トロ秋刀魚", the corresponding Chinese name can be "fat autumn knife" or "fat autumn knife", can be called the "red cream crab" in the saury world.
This season's tokohi aesthetic "Toro Saury" |
The appearance of "トロ秋 knife fish" is obviously different from that of ordinary saury, their abdomen is slightly bulging, their body is thick and firm, and their fat content is also higher, and the fat content of saury in the period from early September to the end of October can reach a staggering 20% or more, and although the fish is small, it is fat enough. Rich in unsaturated fatty acids, they are also regarded as healthy foods in addition to being delicious.
"Toro Saury", Oil and Fat Wealth |
02
/ A poem of wind and objects in the autumn /
The autumn saury, which is abundant in the early autumn, is not only a delicacy on the table, but also a poem of sentimentality and sorrow, always with the cold atmosphere of autumn. Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu once wrote in his diary: "Saury is a faithful autumn fish, as soon as you grill the saury, the autumn wind blows through the gap in your heart, and the sentimentality of the cold fluttering also comes", this scene is like the state of mind of "autumn wind rises, thinking about the sea bass".
Saury with the beauty of mourning |
Although saury has been eaten in Japan since ancient times, large quantities of fishing began in the Edo period. Every year in July, hokkaido saury fishing ban is lifted, in August and September the fish migrate to the Shore of Sanriku in Iwate Prefecture, and then south to the vicinity of the Bouto Peninsula, when the fat content of saury reaches its peak, and fishermen follow the footsteps of the migratory fish, using fish lanterns and stick nets to welcome the harvest. Saury is one of the few common edible fish in Japan that relies entirely on wild fishing and domestic fish species.
Saury comes entirely from wild fishing |
There is a proverb in the Edo period: "As soon as the Akira is on the market, the masseuse is unemployed" (秋刀魚が出ると massage が引っむ), which says that the fatigue of the midsummer is alleviated by the autumn wind, the weather is getting cooler, people's appetite is also exuberant, and the fat saury is full of vitality, and even the matter of massage relaxation is saved.
Grilled saury, the human world deserves a series of |
It is said that in the early years, a Japanese netizen wanted to buy charcoal to commit suicide, on the road to see the saury special price, he bought a few with his hand, started a charcoal fire by the way to grill fish, after eating suddenly felt that it is really good to live, the world is worth it, so finally gave up the idea of light life, which is probably the power of food.
A roasted autumn knife that makes people give up the idea of taking their own lives |
03
Fresh saury
/ Fresh and unworldly, so outstanding /
Saury is similar to mackerel and sardines, and is a typical "green skin fish". They are usually rich in fat and have high bioenzyme activity in the body, so they are extremely perishable. The flesh of the green skin fish is slightly firmer, the taste is not as soft as the white fish, it is better than the fishy freshness of the naked fish, and the plump fat makes up for the taste of the micro-chai after cooking, so as long as it is fresh enough, it is absolutely beautiful.
Delicious but hard-to-keep "green fish"
How do you tell if the saury is fresh enough? In fact, it is similar to most ways to identify the freshness of fish: first consider the fish eye and the gills, the fish eye is clear and transparent, and the gills are ruddy and colorful; secondly, the fish body, the skin is tight and complete, and the metallic luster is fresh. In addition, fresh saury also has a typical feature, that is, the "tip of the mouth" if it shows a bright waxy yellow color, it is also a fresh Peugeot.
Fresh saury with a bright yellow color at the tip of the mouth
Saury is a popular delicacy and can be served in a variety of ways. The freshest saury can be eaten raw, and although, like mackerel, saury is a species susceptible to infection with xenocephalus, some saury lovers seem to selectively ignore this. Saury meat is lightly stained with rice vinegar and accompanied by green orange to enhance the flavor, and like most green skin fish, the standard sauce of saury sashimi is not wasabi, but ginger puree.
Saury holds sushi and sashimi |
The most well-known way to eat saury is, of course, salt-grilled (塩焼き), which is usually grilled with offal. Because saury has no stomach and short intestines, it is excreted quickly after ingesting bait, so the internal organs of fresh saury are considered edible. The taste of the fish is fresh, the internal organs are slightly bitter, and the bitter taste of the delicate smell is often regarded as the essence of grilled saury.
Usually baked with offal whole strips |
Salt-grilled saury, the most suitable seasoning is white radish puree and lemon or lime juice. Imagine the smoke on the stove, the roasting of the "トロ秋刀", the smell of fish floating all over the house; teeth buttoned open the back of the crispy fish, the oil is overflowing in an instant, the fish meat is full of juice, and the wonderful degree is like using a spoon to knock open the crisp sugar shell of the caramel pudding.
Grilled autumn knife with radish puree and lime juice |
The salt-roasted autumn knife, which is intertwined with delicious and bitterness, is like a faint sentimentality and sorrow in autumn.