Wild-Caught Noto Kan-Buri Winter Yellowtail

The arrival of winter in Ishikawa is heralded by cloudy skies, with thunder accompanied by sleet. Here, people call the thunder that comes with snow buri-okoshi (literally, “yellowtail-bringer”), because it marks the arrival of the winter yellowtail. In Japanese, yellowtail actually have several different names, changing as they mature: in Ishikawa’s dialect, they are first known as kozokura, then become fukuragi, gando, and finally buri. Not all buri yellowtail earn proper recognition as this iconic winter delicacy, though. Only ones caught in fixed nets off the Ishikawa shore from November through February, weighing at least 7 kg, earn the right to be called Wild-Caught Noto Kan-Buri Winter Yellowtail. These fish first put on fat in the northern waters of the Sea of Japan, then head south, where they are caught in fixed nets off the coast of Ishikawa’s Noto Peninsula. They are then flash-frozen or carefully butchered with the ikejime technique to maintain maximum freshness, ensuring that diners can enjoy their melt-in-the-mouth tender fat, delicate texture, and excellent flavor at the very finest. In 2022, the Kirameki brand debuted, to recognize the finest of the finest Wild Noto Kan-Buri Winter Yellowtail.