間八 · カンパチ · kanpachi
Kanpachi
Kanpachi is greater amberjack — a leaner, firmer, crisper cousin of hamachi, and a genuinely different species despite sharing the 'yellowtail' label.
- Also known as
- amberjack, yellowtail
- Species
- Seriola dumerili (Greater amberjack)
- Category
- White-flesh fish (shiromi)
- Texture
- firm, crisp — clean, lightly sweet, less fatty than hamachi
- Peak season
- Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep (farmed year-round)
- Sustainability
- varies — Mostly farmed for sushi; wild greater amberjack varies by region.
- Mercury
- Not in the FDA consumer table
- Pregnancy
- Eat in moderation
- Often swapped with
- hamachi, hiramasa
- Price tier
- $$
A different fish entirely
Despite sitting next to hamachi and buri under the “yellowtail” umbrella, kanpachi is a separate species — the greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili. It’s leaner, firmer, paler and crisper than hamachi, with a clean flavor that many sushi nerds prefer in warmer months.
Where the name comes from
Look at a juvenile head-on and you’ll see a dark figure-eight between the eyes — kan (“between”) pachi (“eight”). Hence kanpachi.
Season and sourcing
Kanpachi eats well spring through summer, a useful counterpoint to winter’s fatty buri. Most kanpachi served at sushi bars is farmed or juvenile, which matters for safety: large wild greater amberjack from tropical reefs can carry ciguatera toxin accumulated up the food chain. Farmed and young fish haven’t had time to accumulate it.
Don’t confuse it with hiramasa
The third “yellowtail” cousin, hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack, Seriola lalandi), is rarer, firmer and pinker still. See the full side-by-side.