Engawa えんがわ

'Engawa' is the fin-muscle that flatfish such as flounder (hirame) and sole (karei) use to move their fins. It lies at the base of the fin; because the fins of flounder and sole are long and their fin muscles well developed, this part came to be eaten. Its shape is said to resemble the engawa, the wooden veranda that runs along the edge of a traditional Japanese house, which is how it got its name.

The taste varies considerably depending on which fish it comes from.

The engawa served at most sushi restaurants is usually taken from Greenland halibut (karasu-garei) or arrowtooth flounder (abura-garei); the engawa of true sole is so high-end that you will almost never see it. The engawa of Greenland halibut and arrowtooth flounder is richly fatty, juicy and crowd-pleasing. By contrast, the engawa of premium sole such as karei, ishi-garei and matsukawa-garei is light yet pleasantly savoury, with an elegant flavour.

Flounder, meanwhile, is a top-grade whitefish, so its engawa is naturally a luxury piece too.

Origin: Flounder from northern seas; sole varies by type, from all over Japan Season: Varies by type