Japanese Name: 鮗【Konoshiro】 English Name: Gizzard Shad

: Gizzard shads live in a wide area, from brackish water (between sea water and fresh water) to sea water. They grow to become 10cm after a year of hatching, and 15cm during the 2nd year. The price setting is different from usual fish; they are sold at around 20,000 yens / kg when they are small (shinko), while this drops to 1,000 yen / kg when they mature. In Japan, younger fish are considered to be pure, and this is why shinkos are pretty expensive.

: These are the parrs which are about 5cm. Its taste is pretty simple like other juvenile fish, and people who like them easily devour 10 to 20 of them.

: The silver skinned favorite, spotted shad, is what becomes of the shinko when it grows to become 7-10cm. They have plenty of fat, and could be said to be at its prime to be made into sushi.

: This is what the spotted shad looks like when it becomes over 12cm. This is about 2 years after hatching, and it is like a rather large spotted shad.

: They start being called gizzard shad when they grow over 15cm, loosing popularity. Their names change according to their growth: shinko→kohada(spotted shad) →nakazumi→konoshiro(gizzard shad).

: Gizzard shad have quite a few tiny bones. Therefore, they are the perfect choice to consume calcium. They are also rich in vitamin B2s, which are good for lifestyle-related diseases, and unsaturated fat acids which reduce bad cholesterol. Thus, they can be recommended to people who do not maintain a proper diet.