kabayaki Archives - Sardeenz!

J-Basket Sanma Kabayaki

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

Choshita Sardine Kabayaki

DeenLeave a comment

I purchased these Choshita Sardine Kabayaki as part of a combo assortment along with some Saury Kabayaki. I was curious to see what type of sardine it would be, but I'm still not sure. It appears to be fillets of a fish too large to be packed whole in the can. I'll have to assume it's one of the species found in the Pacific Northwest.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

The aroma and appearance are about the same as the same brand of saury kabayaki. The sauce obscures whatever color the meat might be. The flavor was also virtually indistinguishable, the preparation and sauce overpowering the fish flavor. More bones evident than in the saury as well. The meat is tender, though, and not dry at all.

More Than Expected

Out over rice, there's substantially more fish than what appears to be in the just-opened can, which is not all that deep.

I chose to dump most of the can liquid out over everything, to try to get the most flavor from it.

As I worked my way through the bowl, I found myself thinking how much better I liked the kabayaki treatment in combination with the rice.

All in all, the lackluster appearance aside, I thought this was pretty good.

English Translation

I decided to see if I could translate the Japanese-only packaging, and Google Lens was able to accomplish that in a snap. I'll use it next time I encounter a non-English package.

See it on Amazon.

Brand: Choshita [Tawara Canning Co.Ltd]
Description: Sardine Kabayaki
Species: ?
Country of Origin: Japan
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

J-Basket Saba Kabayaki

DeenLeave a comment

Found this J-Basket Saba Kabayaki at a local Asian Market. Most if not all of their tinned fish selections are seasoned in one way or another. Kabayaki, as you may recall, is grilling and glazing with a sweet/savory sauce. This saba (mackerel) was under $3. It appears to also be sold in an otherwise identical can branded Wel-Pac.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

The can was packed reasonably full, with a little bit of space. Once again, the kabayaki treatment has given the fish a brownish beige tint. The aroma is not overtly fishy. Because of the preparation, the taste is about the same as the Choshita brand of saury/sanma I tried previously, but the fish is a bit chewier. There is some skin, and bones soft enough to not be crunchy.

I think when the various cans of kabayaki style fish I have on hand are gone, I'm probably done with the whole kabayaki thing. And I actually wonder if there are any Japanese tinned fish products that aren't pre-seasoned in some way. Honestly, I'd rather the taste of the fish. Good experience, though.

Brand: J-Basket
Description: Saba (Mackerel) Kabayaki
Species: Pacific mackerel
Country of Origin: Japan
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Choshita Saury Kabayaki

DeenLeave a comment

I went out on a limb and ordered a couple of Japanese tinned fish selections, including these Choshita Saury Kabayaki. They ended up being a little mystery to be solved, as the package received had no English, not even an added sticker like imported cans often do.

Pacific saury, also known as sanma, is apparently a popular seasonal fish commonly enjoyed in the Japanese autumn. The kanji characters of the Japanese name literally translate as "autumn knife fish". It is a shallow water fish which grows to a length of about 12 inches.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

What little research I had done about kabayaki prior to opening the can led me to expect a coloration characteristic of a soy sauce-based glaze. So, even though the brown color was not exactly appetizing (IMO), it wasn't a surprise.

I chose to consume these over a bowl of rice, which I understand is how they are commonly served. This allowed me to just pour out the entire contents so as to savor the entire preparation. "Kabayaki" means grilled and basted with a sweet and savory glaze. Although I have to say the grilled aspect might have been lost in the canning process. Either that or the glaze just overpowered any grilled flavor.

There were a few crunchy bones, maybe 3 or 4 vertebrae, but that was all that was apparent. I found nothing off-putting in either the texture or the flavor. I have a second can and might try frying them up before serving to see if that adds anything to the experience.

Main Takeaways

Preparation style overpowers the flavor of the fish
Might be better heated

See it on Amazon.

Brand: Choshita [Tawara Canning Co.Ltd]
Description: Saury Kabayaki
Species: Saury
Country of Origin: Japan
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $5-6