"saba" news and stories

We've been touring the sushi bar here at slashfood, and last I checked, I think we had just eaten some sake (that's salmon, not the drink, though we've dipped into that, too).

Saba is the Japanese term for mackerel; hikari-mono is the more general term that refers to all oily, shiny fish. In general, most people find that saba is "too fishy," but that's the characteristic that totally turns me on about it. Because it's so fishy, a lot of sushi chefs will use citrus juices, vinegars and other types of marinades to make it more palatable. I just like it straight up. (The above look like saba rolls, but they're really just saba on rice like nigiri with the addition of daikon sprouts and yuzu.)

If you're going to get all crazy and order saba, though, I recommend that you order it a little later in the meal, since the fishiness may linger on the palate, making it harder to taste any of the lighter fish.

Previous lessons at the School of Fish:
Hirame - white fish, sometimes halibut
Tai and Suzuki - snapper and seabass
Maguro - tuna
Toro - fatty belly of tuna
Shiro Maguro - "white" tuna, aka albacore
Ahi tuna
Hamachi - amberjack, aka yellowtail
Sake - salmon