鱸 · スズキ · suzuki
Suzuki
Suzuki is Japanese sea bass — a light, firm summer white fish with a clean, refreshing flavor, sometimes served arai (ice-shocked) for extra snap.
- Also known as
- sea bass, seigo, fukko
- Species
- Lateolabrax japonicus (Japanese sea bass)
- Category
- White-flesh fish (shiromi)
- Texture
- firm — clean, refreshing, mild
- Peak season
- Jun, Jul, Aug
- Sustainability
- varies — Status varies by stock and region.
- Mercury
- Not in the FDA consumer table
- Pregnancy
- Eat in moderation
- Price tier
- $$
Summer’s clean white fish
Suzuki is Japanese sea bass, and it peaks in the heat of summer — its light, firm, refreshing flesh is a welcome counter to richer fare when it’s hot. Clean and mild, it rewards a delicate hand.
Arai
A classic summer treatment is arai: the slices are shocked in ice water, which firms them and tightens the texture into a cool, crisp snap. Like yellowtail, suzuki is a shusse-uo, renamed as it grows: seigo → fukko → suzuki.
Related neta
Tai
Tai (madai) is red sea bream — Japan's celebratory white fish: firm, clean, subtly sweet, best in spring. Often called 'red snapper' on menus, but it's a different fish.
平目 hirameHirame
Hirame is olive flounder (fluke) — a lean, delicate white fish at its best in winter. Its thin fin muscle, engawa, is a prized chewy delicacy.