秋刀魚 · サンマ · sanma

Sanma

Sanma is Pacific saury — the iconic oily fish of Japanese autumn. As sushi it's rich and bright; lately, warming seas have made it scarce and pricey.

Also known as

saury, mackerel pike

Species

Cololabis saira (Pacific saury)

Category

Silver / shiny fish (hikarimono)

Texture

soft, oily — rich, bright, briny

Peak season

Sep, Oct, Nov

Sustainability

varies — Pacific saury catches have fallen sharply in recent years amid shifting ocean conditions.

Mercury

Not in the FDA consumer table

Pregnancy

Eat in moderation

Price tier

$$

The taste of autumn

Its kanji literally reads “autumn sword fish,” and few foods say fall in Japan like sanma. Most often salt-grilled, when it’s impeccably fresh it’s also served as sushi — oily, rich and bright, with ginger and scallion to balance the fat.

A fish under pressure

Worth knowing: sanma has become scarce and expensive. Catches have fallen sharply over recent years as ocean conditions shift, turning what was once a cheap, everyman’s fish into a seasonal splurge — a small, edible signal of larger changes at sea. Among the shiny fish it sits beside summer’s aji and autumn’s saba.

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