小鰭 · コハダ · kohada

Kohada

Kohada is gizzard shad — the quintessential edomae hikarimono, always vinegar-cured, with beautiful silver-patterned skin. It's a benchmark of a chef's curing skill.

Also known as

gizzard shad, shinko, konoshiro

Species

Konosirus punctatus (Dotted gizzard shad)

Category

Silver / shiny fish (hikarimono)

Texture

firm, cured — tangy, savory, silver-skinned

Peak season

Oct, Nov, Dec

Sustainability

unrated

Mercury

Not in the FDA consumer table

Pregnancy

Eat in moderation

Price tier

$$

The edomae benchmark

Kohada is gizzard shad, and no fish says “Edo-style sushi” more clearly. It’s never served raw: the chef salts it, then marinates it in vinegar, and the exact timing — enough to firm and season, not so much that it turns sharp — is one of the truest tests of skill at the counter. The glittering, dotted silver skin is left on and scored into patterns.

A fish with four names

Like yellowtail, kohada is a shusse-uo renamed as it grows: shinko (the tiny, jewel-like young) → kohada → nakazumi → konoshiro. New-season shinko is so small that a single piece may take several fish — and it commands wild prices each summer.

Where it sits

Among the shiny fish, kohada is cured and tangy where aji is fresh and clean and saba is bold and oily.

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