Sawara (Japanese Spanish mackerel)

Sawara is a white fish containing 7-10% fat, a slightly high percentage which makes it a tender fish. This is a fish whose name changes as it grows larger; up to 50cm it is called sagoshi, up to 70cm nagi, and sawara beyond 70cm. It inhabits areas from the south of Hokkaido to the Korean peninsula, as well as off the coast of Australia. In the winter, it moves deeper underwater, where it grows fatty and tastier. In the spring it moves into bays to spawn, and this is when many are caught. This is why it is written as “the spring fish” in Chinese characters. It contains a large amount of the umami compound inosinate.

Levels of naturally occurring glutamate（mg/100g）：3〜11
Levels of naturally occurring inosinate（mg/100g）：250〜280