Grilled fish | Articles on Japanese Restaurants | Japan Restaurant Guide by Gourmet Navigator
Grilled fish Summary
Grilled fish is an indispensable dish in Japanese cuisine, where fish is eaten more often than meat. Grilled fish, as the name says it, is a simple dish made by grilling fish, so it can be served anytime and is often present as a daily dish or in diners. As the types of fish that are caught vary with the season, grilled fish can be eaten all year around. There are many ways of eating grilled fish, from simple ways that imply salting the fish and grilling it, to more complex ways that imply soaking the fish in miso beforehand and grilling the seasoned fish.
A set meal containing rice, miso soup and grilled fish is one of the most conventional set meals in Japan. As Japanese culture became more westernized, Japanese people started to eat more meat, so the number of those who eat grilled fish has been declining, but even today most stoves in ordinary Japanese households are equipped with a special grill for fish. Eviscerating fish is common but the head is usually left on before grilling, and larger types of fish are usually sliced before grilling. Types of fish commonly used for grilling include Pacific saury, mackerel, sardines, salmon, Pacific cod, Japanese amberjack, etc. The Pacific saury, which is in season in autumn, is a very delicious fatty fish, and is considered a dish that reminds people of autumn.
