Kiss 鱚

Japanese whiting is delicious as sushi, but it is also said to be wonderful prepared almost any way — as tempura, seared, deep-fried as karaage, or in a clear soup.

Because catches have long been modest, it was treated as a luxury fish, but in recent years imports from Southeast Asia have made it easier to enjoy outside high-end restaurants.

There is a well-known saying that true Edomae sushi shops do not serve whiting, from an old superstition that one avoids eating kisu — a food the gods love — so as to ward off plague.

With fine fat over translucent white flesh, it offers a delicate, elegant piece of sushi.

Origin: Kyushu, Shikoku Season: Summer