Aji, horse mackerel, Japanese jack mackerel, Japanese scad
(Trachurus Japonicus)
The Japanese horse mackerel is a very popular and important fish that has delicious oily flesh with lots of DHA and amino acids – the name "aji" means “tasty!” for a good reason. A favorite on Japanese menus since the Nara Period and still going strong - aji is popular and inexpensive. The season (shun) is from May to September, when the fat content is highest thanks to the spawning season, but the fish is in principle available all year. The character with which it is written combines the formal character for
"three" with "fish," indicating that it was traditionally caught in the
third month (May in the modern calendar).
[Sekiaji from Oita prefecture]
Can grow to 40 cm, but usually smaller, 13-17 cm. Large eyes, projecting
lower jaw, curved lateral line of hard scales. Tail in V-form. Fast
swimmer. Lives both near bottom, in midwaters and near the surface. Feeds on crustaceans, shrimps and small fishes.
Found in waters around Japan, Korea and in the East and South China Seas.
There are 40 species in the waters around Japan. The most important are the ma-aji, which can be
served in a wide variety of ways: on sushi (either fresh or marinated in
vinegar and salt), as sashimi, tataki (lightly seared), grilled in salt (shioyaki), deep fried (as karaage or as furai), as nimono, à la meunière, or (the
smaller fish) marinated. It is best on sushi in the summer when the fat content is highest. The muro-aji is mainly grilled with salt and the shima aji is a delicacy on sushi and as sashimi.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Japanese Food Dictionary