The Journal · Pillar
Sourcing, seasonality, and sustainability: everything about Aji's fish and ingredients.
The flavor of sushi fish peaks during its prime season, known as 'shun'. Winter is ideal for fatty fish like tuna (maguro) and yellowtail (buri), while summer brings lighter options like sea bass (suzuki). Understanding the seasons transforms the entire sushi experience.
Prioritize fast-growing, low-food-chain fish like mackerel (saba) and scallops. Avoid bluefin tuna and eel (unagi). Rely on certifications like Ocean Wise and talk to your chef.
To know if sushi fish is fresh, trust your senses: it should have a mild ocean scent (never fishy), firm and shiny flesh, and clear eyes on a whole fish. At Aji Bar in Montreal, uncompromising freshness is our standard.
Almost all salmon served raw in sushi is farmed Atlantic salmon, and that is a deliberate choice. Wild Pacific salmon must be frozen to standard before being eaten raw because of parasites. Quality farmed salmon offers fattier, milder, more consistent flesh.
Real wasabi is a root grated to order, with a clean, fleeting heat, unrelated to the imitation paste made from horseradish and dye. At the counter, the chef sets the right amount between rice and fish: no need to add more.
Katsuo, or bonito, is an early-summer seasonal fish. Its first run, hatsu-gatsuo, is celebrated in Japan. Often flame-seared as tataki, its bright red flesh appears on Aji's omakase when the season allows.
Uni is sea urchin gonads, prized for their oceanic sweetness. Ikura is cured salmon roe, salty and bursting. Tobiko is flying fish roe, tobiko is crunchy and briny. Masago is smelt roe. Each rewards a confident approach at the counter.
For most sushi fish, flash-freezing at very low temperatures is both a food safety requirement and a quality preservation method. 'Fresh' is not always better, and 'sushi-grade' is not a regulated term.
Shun (旬) means peak season in Japanese. Each fish has a window when its flavour is at its height. Eating in season at a serious Japanese restaurant means eating the fish at its best, not just what is available.
Bluefin tuna is fatter, richer, and more expensive, with the legendary otoro and chutoro cuts. Yellowfin is leaner, brighter, and more accessible. Both are serious sushi fish with distinct strengths.
