Japanese people often eat fish. Grilling is the most common cooking method, but there are different ways to grill depending on the type of fish, and the taste will be completely different.
“Shioyaki” is to sprinkle salt and grill, “Teriyaki” is apply soy sauce, sugar, and mirin and roast, “Saikyo-yaki”is to soak in sweet white miso and then grill, “Yugen-yaki” is to soak in citrus sauce for several days and then grill.
Please enjoy the delicious grilled fish that can only be tasted in Japan.
What is Grilled fish and can I eat it?
Materials of Grilled fish
Fish
| Gluten-free | Low-gluten | Wheat-free | Low FODMAPs | |
| Restaurant |
There are various types of Grilled fish
Grilled fish is a typical Japanese menu. Surrounded by the sea on all sides, Japan eats various types of fish, and the most delicious way to eat fish has been studied. Therefore, there are many types of grilled fish.
Here are some typical ones.
Shioyaki (Grilling with salt)
Shioyaki is a dish in which salt is sprinkled on fish and grilled over an open fire. Fish may be grilled after removing the head, bones, and internal organs, or they may be grilled as they are. Grilling with salt is a cooking method that allows you to feel the taste of fish. The only seasonings used for grilling with salt are salt and cooking liquor, so it is gluten-free.
The fish shown below are grilled with salt.
Pacific saury
It is a migratory fish and is caught in autumn in Japan. Grilled saury with salt is a dish that feels autumn. Grill the whole thing, sprinkle the juice of yuzu or sudachi on the grilled one, and eat while loosening the body. It may be served at popular Japanese restaurants.
Mackerel
Sprinkle cooking liquor on the fillet to remove the odor, then sprinkle with salt and bake. This is also served at popular Japanese restaurants, and bento boxes with grilled mackerel are also on sale.
Atka mackerel
It is a fish caught in the Sea of Okhotsk and is thick and easy to eat. Sprinkle salt on the cut meat and grill. You can eat it at popular Japanese restaurants and izakaya.
Ayu, char, and yamame trout
They are small river fish. Sprinkle salt on the fish, stick it on a skewer and grill it whole. The place where these fish are caught is a clear stream, so you can feel the taste of the fish without the muddy smell. It is offered at restaurants and hotels in mountainous areas.
Teriyaki
Teriyaki is made by adding a sweet sauce of soy sauce mixed with sake, mirin, and sugar, and baking it in a frying pan. By adding the sauce, the surface of the fish has a luster called “Teri”. The cooking method called teriyaki is well known overseas, and there are also dishes made by teriyaki chicken and pork. In teriyaki, Wheat flour may be sprinkled on the surface of the fish to make it easier for the sauce to stick. Moreover, wheat is included in the raw material of soy sauce used for the sauce. Teriyaki is not gluten-free.
Yellowtail
Speaking of fish suitable for teriyaki, it is a fat-rich yellowtail, which is made by sprinkling flour on a fillet without internal organs and bones and baking it with sauce. The sweet and spicy taste goes well with rice.
Sea bass
It is a white fish with less fat, but sea bass is also a fish that is often cooked as teriyaki, and the cooking method is the same as yellowtail.
Saikyo-yaki
Saikyo-yaki is made from white miso made in Kyoto, “Saikyo-miso”, soaked with fish fillets from which bones and internal organs have been removed, and then grilled. Saikyo-miso is made from rice, soybeans, rice jiuqu, etc. It is a sweet miso, and the taste and sweetness of the miso soaks into the fish and it is very delicious. Since the miso is not salty, you can feel the umami of the fish. When making Saikyo-yaki at home, it is common to buy the fish soaked in Saikyo-miso and grill it.
The fish that are cooked as Saikyo-yaki are as follows;
Spanish mackerel
It is a soft fish with a lot of white meat and a lot of fat.
Salmon
Salmon is a commonly eaten fish. Saikyo-yaki salmon is often included in lunch boxes, and some convenience stores also include products in retort pouches.
Sablefish
It is a fish with a lot of white meat and a lot of fat. It is a large fish that lives in the deep sea and is sold as a fillet. The fillet soaked in Saikyo miso are sold at food supermarkets.
Try to eat Grilled fish!
How much ?
- $ 8～, In case that you eat a grilled fish set meal at a set meal restaurant in the city
- $12～, In case that you eat grilled atka mackerel at a izakaya
Where can I eat Grilled fish ?
A set meal restaurant in the city
There are many set meal restaurants that have grilled fish on the menu, but the variety of menus is limited. We often see grilled mackerel with salt, yellowtail teriyaki, and salmon grilled with Saikyo.
Fine Japanese restaurant
Grilled fish is served as a “roasted dish” for kaiseki cuisine. Please check the menu of each restaurant to see what is offered.
Precautions when eating Grilled fish
For people who are gluten-free
Soy sauce is used for grilled fish other than salt-grilled fish. Wheat is included in the raw material of soy sauce, but protein is decomposed during the fermentation process, so almost no gluten remains in the soy sauce. In Japan, it is said that people with wheat allergies can take soy sauce. Please decide for yourself whether to eat.
On the other hand, teriyaki may use wheat flour, so please be careful.
Japanese writer’s comment for Grilled fish
There are various types of grilled fish in Japan, and the prices vary. It’s also difficult to find a particular menu, as the fish are available at different times.
“Grilled mackerel with salt”, “Teriyaki yellowtail”, and “Salmon grilled with Saikyo Miso” are cheap and popular menu which can be eaten all year round. To find truly delicious grilled fish, I recommend either eating “kaiseki meals” at a high-end Japanese restaurant , or a set meal served at a local restaurant near sea.
