Comments on: Sea Bream Japanese Feast: Tai Sashimi, Tai Meshi, Tai Nitsuke

By: 8Asians.com » Hawaiians worried about Holiday Tuna Supply

8Asians.com » Hawaiians worried about Holiday Tuna Supply — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:03:33 +0000

[...] brought over by immigrant Japanese fisherman, bigeye tuna was substituted for the traditional tai, or sea bream, which doesn’t occur locally. This year, Hawaiians are worried about their Holiday Tuna [...]

By: 8Asians.com » Hawaiians worried about Holiday Tuna Supply

8Asians.com » Hawaiians worried about Holiday Tuna Supply — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:03:33 +0000

By: AT

AT — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:33:17 +0000

Nice reply Tony C., the common names are confusing and good to have the scientific one to clear things up.

I eat a lot of Tai here in Japan, and it is very similar to juvenile NZ Snapper (the Australian Snapper is a myth, they stole it from us because it’s good, just like Crowed House…ha ha! They can keep Russell Crowe).

By: Tony C.

Tony C. — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:27:19 +0000

Tai correctly refers to “red sea bream”(Pagrus major) which are in the family Sparidae (bream). Sparidae are not monophyletic, that is, what we call bream are not necessarily closely related species, and might properly belong to other families. Sometimes, the closely related Australian snapper (aka New Zealand snapper, pink snapper, pink sea bream, or squirefish) (Pagrus auratus) is substituted for red sea bream. Although called “snapper”, the squirefish is a bream. The genus Pagrus is distantly related to picarels (family Centracanthidae). Red sea bream are about as closely related to red snappers as they are to fresh water bass or tilapia.

In the US, the generic “snapper” at many fish mongers is actually squirefish. You can be sure if the origin was Australia or New Zealand. The “red snapper” sold at many fish mongers is also a substitute, frequently vermilion snapper, pacific red snapper, or even squirefish. In the southeast, the red snapper is usually legit. The red sea bream may actually be a related species found in the atlantic (Pagellus bogaraveo) which has the same common English name as the Japanese madai. It is illegal to call something “red snapper” which is anything other than a northern red snapper, so tai should always be translated as “red sea bream”.

The “tai (red snapper)” on the menus of many sushi shops in the US is at best squirefish, and at worst tilapia (usually the later). The deception at most shops is a combination of the ignorance of the non-Japanese owner, and a sushi fish monger that promotes tilapia and/or squirefish as a substitution for tai. The box the fish comes in is usually labeled properly. A handful of Japanese owned sushi shops will often use “red snapper” on the menu, but serve the traditional red sea bream (madai) or squirefish. This is done because the shop owners feel that people do know what a snapper is, but don’t know what a bream is. This is a play on the popularity of red snapper, and is illegal.

Real red snapper is almost never found in US sushi shops, and real madai is only found in Japanese-run shops.

What we call snappers are in the family Lutjanidae. Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is native to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean . It does not have a Japanese name, nor is it a traditional fish in sushi.

Red sea bream and squire fish are closely related, and do look and taste similar, but they can be distinguished side-by-side. They are nothing like real red snapper.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:55:45 +0000

I have yesterday made Tai Meshi and Tai Nitsuke according to your “recipe” and both were delicious, especially the Tai Meshi which was excellent! I am always looking for new ways to cook Japanese food and your website always has something of interest for me. Thank you so much for an excellent blog!

By: Paul Hays

Paul Hays — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 07:28:07 +0000

While the correct name of Tai in English is Sea Bream, it is closely related to the Red Snapper, and in fact, according to Elizabeth Ando’s excellent Japanese cookbook, Washoku, Tai is a member of the snapper family. Certainly any of the recipes for Tai are good for preparing Red Snapper, and other members of the family, which are more familiar to other Pacific Rim places, such as Australia and California. In Japan, when I lived in Kanazawa, the Black Snapper, or Kurodai, was highly prized.

By: Michal

Michal — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:43:45 +0000

We use th ered snapper alot here in New Zealand. it is very tasty and a good price. Steamed with ginger it is wonderful!

By: sunil baindur

sunil baindur — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:14:02 +0000

Fantastic! so well done,so neat and artistic.

Kudos to the chef!

By: Peko Peko

Peko Peko — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:48:04 +0000

Hi Marc, Oh! My dictionary says both. This online dictionary says the same: http://ext.dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/je/20883/m0u/鯛/

I image searched both names in English and tai in Japan definitely looks like what most comes up as sea bream in search results.

This article about tai, Japan’s kind of fish, written by a professor only says sea bream.

http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/thejapanesetablebackissues/12.shtml

ふ〜〜〜ん

By: Marc @ NoRecipes

Marc @ NoRecipes — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:19:38 +0000

Yumm! I love tai:-) I might be mistaken, but it’s tai “red sea bream”? I think red snapper is a slightly different fish with a more narrow pointed nose.