March is a delicious month for seafood. The cold waters still bring fish rich with fat that shines in sashimi or is nice for grilling. Asari clams are great for making into a quick vongole style pasta. Grilling salted fish heads of buri or tai is quick and simple and the perfect accompaniment to sake or shochu. Bitesize tiny hotaru ika can be quickly blanched and then served with a sweet and vinegary sumiso dressing. Nishin can be salted and grilled. And perhaps my favorite this time of year is katsuo simply seared on the edges, sliced thickly, and served with some soy sauce and garlic.

If you click on the Japanese name of the seafood you should be directed to a link with a photo.

Asari – 浅利  Japanese littleneck clams   (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Buri – 鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Hamaguri – 浜栗  common Orient clam (Meretrix lusoria)

Hirame –  鮃 olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Hotaru Ika – 蛍烏賊擬 firefly squid  (Enoploteuthis chunii)

Isaki – 伊佐幾  chicken grunt  (Parapristipoma trilineatum)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Katsuo –  鰹  skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kinmedai– 金目 (sometimes called kinme) splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Kohada –  小鰭  gizzard shad (Konosirus pumctatus)

Madai (or Tai) –  真鯛 seabream (Pagurus major)

Nijimasu –  虹鱒  rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nishin – 鰊  Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Sayori –  針魚  halfbeak (Hyporhamphus sajori)

Sazae – サザエ   turban weath shell (Turbo cornutus)

Yari ika – 槍烏賊 spear squid (Loligo (Heterololigo) bleekeri)