Sanma or Pacific Saury is one of the most well-known seasonal fish representing autumn in Japanese cuisine. It’s usually salted and grilled whole even with intestines intact, and served with grated daikon and soy sauce to intensify the flavor of the fish. The Japanese enjoy the combination of the bitter intestine flavor with fresh grated daikon soy sauce. The kanji characters used in the Japanese names of the Sanma (秋刀魚) mean “autumn sword fish” in reference to sanma season and its body shape resembling a knife or a sword. If you can grill sanma over charcoal, the smokiness adds another layer of flavor to the dish. However, I like using my oven toaster to grill my fish because it’s simple and easy to clean up. You can use an oven or a broiler, but please adjust the cooking time accordingly. I will be sharing another Sanma dish next week before the sanma season is over. This time I wasn’t scared to show fish head picture. Do you remember my post that I was concerned about publishing because I thought it’s scary looking? Well I received very positive responses last time from majority of readers who are used to fish heads so I am more confident this time to share the photos today. I hope I didn’t scare you this time… Have a great week everyone! Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
