I purchased this J-Basket Sanma Kabayaki at the same time as some of their Saba Kabayaki. The terms sanma and saury are interchangeable. I had some other saury kabayaki before, and wanted to compare brands. These were under $3 at a local Asian market.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.
It still has that drab, beige color the kabayaki sauce imparts. I noted a mild fishy aroma, but not off-putting. The flavor is the same mildly sweet and savory found in the others. The texture is a little tougher than mackerel, but is tender enough.
The can is packed quite full. At 3.5 ounces, it is mostly fish with barely a tablespoon of liquid. I noted a few visible hair-like bones, and crunched on just a couple of small others. A little skin here and there as well.
Dumped out and spread over rice, you can see it's a generous portion packed into the small can.
I've mentioned before that I thought I would be done with the whole kabayaki thing when I ran out of what I had on hand, but it's grown on me a little. I just wish some of these Japanese canned fish came in unseasoned versions in order to get a sense of their natural flavor.
Main Takeaways
- Typical kabayaki tinned fish preparation
- Generous portion courtesy of minimal canning liquid
- Previous dismissal of kabayaki may have been premature
Brand: J-Basket
Description: Sanma Kabayaki
Species: Pacific saury
Country of Origin: Japan
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $2-3
