Aki Sake Autumn Chum Salmon Hokkaido Whole 10lb

What is Aki Sake?
Aki sake (秋鮭) — "autumn salmon" — is Chum salmon caught off Hokkaido in the fall, when the fish return to their home rivers to spawn. It's a seasonal fish with a firm texture and a clean, ocean-forward flavor. Leaner than a fatty salmon like Ora King, it's built for cooking rather than raw. This is a whole fish, around 10 lbs.

The lean, firm flesh is exactly what suits traditional Japanese preparations — salt-grilling, miso-zuke (miso marinade), and salt-curing all play to its clean flavor rather than fighting a heavy fat. As a whole fish, it also gives you the roe (sujiko/ikura) and collar, parts prized in their own right.

Specifications

How to enjoy

Cut into fillets or steaks and cook it — this is a salmon for heat, not for sashimi. Salt-grill it plain (shioyaki), marinate in miso for a few days and grill (saikyo-yaki style), or salt-cure it (shiobiki). It also goes into chanchan-yaki, the Hokkaido dish of salmon and vegetables grilled with miso. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator if frozen.

Pairing notes — miso, salt, grated daikon, lemon, steamed rice, and a dry sake.