Air Flown Fresh Aji / Horse Mackerel Whole ~ 200g x 2

Aji can be seen at supermarkets and fish markets all year round.  Aji is often enjoyed as sashimi from early summer to mid-summer.

Aji can be divided into two major categories. There are in-shore aji which stay within the inner bays, and the pelagic aji which swim in the open ocean.

Aji with slightly yellowish body colors are in-shore aji. These types are thick and fatty fish.  Meanwhile, the darker-colored aji are those which have been swimming at the outer oceans.

These aji are muscular and less fatty.

Around spawning time, the reproductive organs of both male and female aji receive more nutrients from the body, meaning that aji during this period is not as tasty.

For this reason, for most aji living in the shoals, the summer period when they are not spawning could be said to be their ‘in-season’ time.”

Aji can either be served raw or cured with salt and vinegar.

It is usually garnished with wasabi, ginger, and scallions to bring out the flavors of the fish.

Most of the skin is removed during preparation, leaving a pinkish, appealing flesh.

One of the lighter hikarimono fish, aji’s taste is delicate and sweet yet flavorful. It pairs especially well with akasu flavored sushi-meshi.