Kisu (鱚 / Japanese whiting)

Category: hikarimono (shiny, silver fish).

Season: best from late spring to early summer.

The leanest of all hikarimono fish, kisu is extremely low in fat content - as low as 1% in fat. It's a classic Edomae neta and is considered a staple of early summer sushi. Kisu's preparation is relatively simple: it is first salted, rinsed, then dipped into a half water, half vinegar bath for a few minutes. The skin is then peeled back, but the neta retains lovely traces of its shiny silver skin, as pictured above. Kisu's plain, clean flavor is very refreshing in the summer time.