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Toyosu Fish Market

April 2024

JIKINMEDAI - Alfonsino

Now is the time when alfonsino are perfectly in season. The fish are especially fatty in April, which is just before they begin to spawn, giving them a particularly strong sweetness.

In addition to being perfect for sashimi and soup, it is a classic ingredient in simmered dishes, and is known for retaining its flavor even when heavily seasoned thanks to its high fat content. If you miss out now, you may not be able to enjoy good quality alfonsino until autumn. We hope you do not miss this opportunity.

SAWARA – Japanese Spanish mackerel

Spanish mackerel, a symbol of spring, are now in season.

With us having entered the pre-spawn season for this fish, Spanish mackerel are particularly delicious and fatty, and we highly recommend them.

KINKI – Broadbanded Thornyhead

Broadbanded thornyheads exhibit a deep red coloration that is a
testament to its freshness.
The white flesh of the skin is fatty throughout, all the way to the skin, and we recommend eating it as sashimi, grilled with salt, and
especially in a simmered dish.

MEJINA – Opaleye (Rudderfish)

Opaleye are nearing the end of their season with the start of spring. This fish is fattiest in the cold season, and are at their tastiest until April.

We hope you will enjoy pre-spawn opaleye, a fish that is more plentiful during periods of poor weather.

MEDAI – Japanese butterfish

Bluenose are perfect as sashimi or in a hotpot up to the start of

spring. This large fish is caught in high yields, with white meat that

features a very mild flavor, making it a great match for a variety of

recipes.

AORI IKA – Bigfin Reef Squid

Bigfin reef squid are known for exhibiting greater umami and

sweetness the more it is chewed.

This species is especially rich in umami even among squids, and

fresh bigfin reef squid flesh is quite firm and has a crisp texture.

TENNEN TAI – Red Seabream

Now is the season for red seabream. As these fish spawn

during the spring, their nutrients are absorbed by the roe, making the roe particularly tasty.

TOBIUO – Flying Fish

Flying fish are in season from early spring to summer.

It is a perfect ingredient not only for sashimi, but also for

“tataki” (sliced thin and seared) and “namero” (minced and

spiced).

TAIRA GAI – Pen Shell

Spring is the perfect season for shellfish. Among the shellfish, pen

shells are particularly recommended.

When sliced into thin sashimi, they are quite sweet with a deliciously addictive and unique tartness. In addition to

sashimi, this catch also makes for excellent tempura.

SHIRAUO – Icefish

Icefish are best eaten by April. Icefish are typically fished in spring

and fall, and the fish is at its most delicious when the flesh is

translucent, between February and April.

We also recommend the fish for its nutritional value.

COOKIN' CUT – Cutting Board

Introducing “Cookin’ Cut,” Japan’s first synthetic rubber cutting board, which has been chosen by cooks for more than half a century since it was first released in 1965. Cookin’ Cut was developed to achieve both “scratch resistance” and a “soft slicing sensation”.

MEBARU – Japanese rockfish

Japanese rockfish are a staple fish of spring.In addition to Japanese Spanish mackerel and wild red sea bream, Japanese rockfish are now in their pre-spawning period, and are very fatty in preparation for the spawn. If you want to offer Japanese rockfish for sale, now is the time; any later, and the effort of spawning will sap them of their nutrients.

MANAGATSUO – Silver pomfret

Why not try making exquisite dishes with silver pomfret, a very high quality fish with a refined layer of fat? As the old adage goes, “there is no salmon in the west sea, no silver pomfret in the east sea.” This is a fish that is almost exclusively available in western Japan.

NISHIN – Herring

The season for herring has begun.Also known as the “fish heralding spring,” herring come to the coast during spawning season and can be grilled with salt and eaten with its roe and milt.Salted and soy-sauce-pickled “herring roe,” the ovaries of the herring, is also a staple.

SAYORI – Halfbeak

Halfbeak are known for their firm meat and high quality.Halfbeak of kannuki-size (particularly large and thick) are also superb in quality. The beautiful and clear white meat is light, yet the delicious flavor of the fish still shines through.

KASAGO – Marbled rockfish

Marbled rockfish are in season from winter to spring.Although the fish is caught in large numbers in the summer, it is actually during this season that marbled rockfish can be enjoyed as a delicacy.The rockfish caught in fishing grounds with rough seabeds are particularly delicious, and miso soup with Arakabu (a.k.a. marbled rockfish) is a local delicacy of Nagasaki.

MADAKO – Octopus

Although this may come as a surprise, spring is the perfect season for octopus.Octopuses are caught in greater numbers in the summer months of June through August, but they are the tastiest from winter to spring.Please enjoy octopus from Japan, the world’s largest consumer of octopus.

HOUBOU – Sea robin

Right now is the perfect season for sea robins, just before they spawn.Not only are sea robins great as sashimi, but the head, bones, and fins are also extremely delicious, making it the perfect fish for boiled or soup dishes. Be sure to try sea robins while they are nice and fatty.

SUZUKI – Japanese seabass

Try Japanese sea bass, known for its transparent white meat and unique flavor.
This fish is delicious when served fresh as sashimi, and its bones and other make for excellent broth, making Japanese sea bass excellent for soups too.

BOILED HOTARUIKA – Fire fry squid

Be sure to enjoy a delicious firefly squid boil.
First to arrive are those caught in Hyogo, and the squid caught in Toyama have the distinction of being the only ones caught with a stationary net. We also recommend buying squid caught in Toyama, once supply becomes more stable, as they boast exquisitely plump meat.

ISHIDAI – Rock porgy

Rock porgy exhibit a different flavor based on their size.
Larger rock porgy in particular have quite fatty meat and skin, giving the fish a strong sweetness and rich umami.
This fish retains its freshness for quite a while, and remains delicious throughout the year.

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