Amberjack (natural Japanese amberjack)

As Japanese amberjack grows, its name changes, just as a person’s title changes when climbing the corporate ladder. In Kanazawa, this fish is called kozokura, fukuragi, gando and buri at each stage. Thunderbolts and sleet herald the beginning of winter in Ishikawa Prefecture. The amberjack caught in set-nets from November through February that weigh 7 kg or more are sold under the brand name “Tennen-Noto-kanburi,” which shows it is in a class of its own. We still have traditional preserved food such as maki-buri, which is made by salt-curing fatty Japanese amberjack, wind drying it and wrapping it in straw, and kabura-zushi, which is made by sandwiching the fish between two slices of turnip and pickling it with koji mold. Preserved foods such as these tell us that the people of Ishikawa have been familiar with “kanburi” for a long time. The flesh of Japanese amberjack is fatty enough to repel soy sauce. In order for the soy sauce to be absorbed, grated daikon radish is added to the sashimi. The daikon has the added advantage of providing a refreshing flavor. Japanese amberjack is very versatile, and can be enjoyed in various ways: grilled with salt, teriyaki, stew with daikon radish and shabu-shabu.