Fish plays a very important role
in the Japanese kitchen.
Japanese people know very well
which fish are seasonal and which
periods to eat them in.
When it comes to fall,
the king of seasonal fish is sanma.
During the Edo Period (1603-1868),
oily, blue-skinned fish such as
the Pacific saury were considered
to be low-class and undesirable,
while white fish such as snapper were
thought to be more refined.
The populace began to be less picky
about their fish choices by severe
food shortages due to a series of
natural and man-made disasters
in the late 18th century, including
earthquakes, poor harvests, fires.
By the end of the Edo period, Sanma
was well loved by the working classes
of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Sanma is written as “fall" （秋）,
“sword" （刀）, and “fish" （魚） in kanji
because a fresh one is so firm that it
stands up straight like a sword
when held upright.
Sanma travels from the cold waters
of Hokkaido towards Honshu
in the autumn, and this is when its meat is
the most flavorful.
Many Japanese feel the sign of the fall
when enjoying tasty Sanma, often
cooked salt-grilled.