Blackhead Seabream · 黒鯛 (くろだい)
Tai's dark-scaled cousin from the tidal flats. Firm pearl-white flesh under charcoal-silver skin, with a clean, faintly briny sweetness — US menus print it as black snapper.
Kurodai changes sex as it grows — most begin life male, and the big old ones are female. Kansai anglers call it chinu and rank outwitting one above eating it.
Category: shiromi · Season: autumn (peak Sep, Oct, Nov) · Origin: Japan, Korea
Preparations
Nigiri 握り · Sashimi 刺身 · Kobujime 昆布締め · Aburi 炙り