Black Sea Bream (Kurodai)

Acanthopagrus schlegeli

The black sea bream is best beginning in May and all the way to September. The Red Snapper is very lean during this period so it is often replace by them in sushi restaurants. Black sea bream are born with both male and female reproductive organs and they are male until two years of age. They go through a transition period after this and completely become female after 4 years of age.Since black sea bream can live in fresh water as well, they were able to be kept alive in wells during the Edo period and were prized until the refrigerator was invented. 

Black sea bream is good as a sashimi when it is extra fresh. Other popular ways to prepare it are steaming it with rich sauce (poler) and meuniere (butter sautee).