Sakura Masu Cherry Trout 3lbs

What is Sakura Masu?
Sakura masu (桜鱒, cherry trout) from Aomori is renowned for its delicate flavor and the pink, cherry-blossom color its flesh takes on as it matures. It's a spring fish, caught in the short season when the fish return to the rivers, by traditional trap methods. The name sakura (cherry blossom) reflects both the pink hue and the spring timing — it's one of the season's markers in Japanese cooking.

The flesh is tender with a subtle sweetness, cleaner and more delicate than a richer salmon. The color alone makes it a spring centerpiece, and it's prized as much for how it looks on the plate as for how it tastes.

Specifications

How to enjoy

Salt-grilled (shioyaki) is a classic, the skin crisping while the pink flesh stays moist. Very fresh, it's beautiful as sashimi, the cherry color showing on the plate, and it's traditional in masuzushi (pressed trout sushi). It also takes to a meunière or a simple bake. Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator before cooking, and use raw preparations only if sashimi-grade.

Pairing notes — salt, sudachi or yuzu, soy and wasabi, butter for meunière, and a dry sake.