Shima-aji, Striped Jack

Each year, I can hardly wait for summer to come so I can taste this fish, which is available at sushi restaurants both in Japan and in America. A South Pacific relative of aji (horse mackerel), shima-aji has a wide, flat body and grows as long as 2 feet. With an attractive yellow stripe (shima, brushstroke) running from the gills to the tail, this fish is beautiful to watch swimming in a school. It is a meaty fish with faintly pink flesh and a mellow, sweet flavor, much like that of hamachi (yellowtail) or kampachi (great amberjack) but even better tasting, or so most Japanese believe.