Kurose Buri (Yellowtail Hamachi Sashimi Grade) from Miyazaki

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Buri is what the Japanese call a mature Japanese Amberjack, or Yellowtail. This Kurose Buri is farmed fresh from Miyazaki, Japan, and is sashimi-grade, making it safe to eat raw. It has a firm texture, and is filled with important fatty acids. This oiliness adds to its incredible flavor, bursting with umami. The meat, though firm, is still soft and chewy, and is great to eat both raw and cooked.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

You get a whole Kurose Buri Round (Yellowtail), and the best way to enjoy it is as sashimi or sushi. But it’s also brilliant grilled with salt, as teriyaki, as shabu-shabu, or simmered in broth.

AN IMPORTANT FISH

Buri, or Yellowtail, is closely connected to many traditions and customs in Japan. One such custom is the gifting of buri by parents of a newly wed bride to her groom in the Toyama and Ishikawa Prefectures. This gesture comes with the hope that the man will have a successful career, and that the bride will be a good wife. In Fukuoka, it is the groom that gifts the fish to his bride’s family.

There is also the custom of gifting buri as a yearend present. In Imizu, a city in the Toyama Prefecture, buri is offered at the Kamo Shrine on New Year’s Day, then sliced and taken home by the devoted. It is thought that partaking in the same food as the gods and deities will grant them good health throughout the year.

Storage Instructions

Fresh fish will arrive to you in designated Styrofoam boxes with shaved ice. Kindly store in your fridge as soon as received.

For the best flavor and quality, fish should be prepared for eating the same day it is brought home, but it can be stored for two to three days in a refrigerator at a cool 4°C. You can store fish fillets in airtight bags in the freezer for up to a month. Cooked leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated as soon as possible and consumed within three days.