Herring(nishin)
Young herring, just a year old, appear at markets in March as if eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring. Their thin layer of fat is much paler and has a more refined quality than that of their cousin, the Japanese sardine, and even has a refreshing fragrance. The herring are split and splayed, in the process removing a mass of long, thin sternal bones akin to those of the sardine. The surface flesh is rendered milky white by a thin layer of fat, an alluring contrast to the red flesh revealed through the cross slashed by the chef’s knife. Made red flesh revealed through the cross slashed by the chef’s knife. Made into nigiri, the fish virtually dissolves, spreading its fragrant flavor. And as spring progresses in earnest, the herring reaches its peak.