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Hotate

Hotate is scallop — the adductor muscle served raw for a sweet, creamy, melting bite. Hokkaido's are the gold standard for sashimi.

Also known as

scallop

Species

Mizuhopecten yessoensis (Yesso (Japanese) scallop)

Category

Shellfish & clams (kai)

Texture

soft, creamy — sweet, creamy, delicate

Peak season

Dec, Jan, Feb (farmed year-round)

Sustainability

varies — Japanese/Hokkaido scallops are often well-managed; ratings vary by method and region.

Mercury

Not in the FDA consumer table

Pregnancy

Eat in moderation

Price tier

$$

Sweet, creamy, clean

Hotate is scallop — specifically the large white adductor muscle, served raw as nigiri or sashimi. Good hotate is plump and faintly translucent, melting to a creamy sweetness that comes from its high glycogen and free amino acids. Hokkaido’s cold waters set the standard.

Raw, or barely touched

Most counters serve it raw to show off that natural sugar, though a light sear (aburi) with a brush of soy plays the sweetness against a little smoke. The frilly mantle (himo) and roe are sometimes served too — chewier, brinier, and not to be wasted.

A friendly luxury

Sweet, mild and entirely un-fishy, hotate is one of the easiest premium neta for newcomers — and a reliable read on a counter’s freshness.