School of Fish - (Amber) Jack be Nimble

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Nov 12th 2005 @ 12:12PM

You're probably familiar with it as yellowtail, and if you're already sushi-savvy, you call it "hamachi," but the family to which this rich, velvety fish belongs is jack, a family that includes a few other fish that you definitely want to try if they're available.

Hamachi, Japanese amberjack, comes from a young fish. The flesh ranges in color from a pale ivory to a barely-there pink, and when it's fresh, is soft, smooth, and sometimes can be as rich as butter.

Another type of jack that is becoming increasingly popular (at least in these parts) is kanpachi, just called amberjack in English. My first taste of kanpachi was on a recent visit to Mori Sushi in West Los Angeles. It was similar in color to hamachi, a little firmer in texture (like the difference between maguro and toro in the tuna family), and absolutely delicious.

Lesser known of the jack family are aji and shima-aji. Aji is called horse mackerel in English, and shima-aji is the striped version of it. Both are lighter (not as rich and fatty) as hamachi and kanpachi, but a great addition to your meal if they're available.

Filed Under: Ingredients, Chefs & Restaurants, How To, Restaurants
Tags: amberjack, dinner, fish, japanese food, lunch, raw fish, sasmimi, school of fish, sushi