Tai Sea Bream

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Sea bream (tai)

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Various, see below
***** Category: Animal

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Explanation

Bream is a general term for a number of species of freshwater and marine fish belonging to a variety of genera. The term sea bream is sometimes used for porgies (family Sparidae) or pomfrets (family Bramidae).



His name includes the TAI, connected to MEDETAI 目出たい ... used on auspicious situations and therefore a fish dish with TAI is very important. It is also used as an offering for the Deities, expecially in Sawachi Food.
Also because of its auspicious red color, it is an auspicious food item.


Some varieties well known in Japan :

amadai 甘鯛 "sweet tai" tilefish
Lopholatilus chamealeonticeps
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Blauer Ziegelfisch


asahidai 旭鯛 アサヒダイ "morningsun sea bream"
Pagellus bellottii
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


chidai 血鯛 チダイ "blood sea bream" crimson sea bream
Evynnis japonica
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


fuedai ふえだい snapper
Lutjanus stellatus
Schnapper


hedai 平鯛 ヘダイ "flat sea bream"
Sparus sarba


hirekodai 鰭小鯛 ヒレコダイ
Evynnis cardinalis


ibodai 疣鯛 wart perch, japanese butterfish
Psenopsis anomala
Japanischer Butterfisch


itoyori, itoyoridai いとよりだい【糸縒鯛】
Nemipterus virgatus
A very expensive variety, with not so much fat


kichinu 黄茅渟 キチヌ yellowfin porgy
Acanthopagrus latus
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


kidai 黄鯛 キダイ yellow sea bream
Dentex tumifrons
. . . CLICK here for Photos !




kurodai 黒鯛 クロダイ black sea bream
Acanthopagrus schlegeli
dunkle Meerbrasse



madai 真鯛 マダイ red sea bream
Pagrus major
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Rote Seebrasse, (Rote Meerbrasse)


minami kurodai 南黒鯛 ミナミクロダイ "Southern black sea brass"
Acanthopagrus sivicolus
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


nanyoo chinu 南洋茅渟 ナンヨウチヌ "South Sea progy"
Acanthopagrus berda
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


oshirenko ホシレンコ (dedai ヂダイ)
Cheimerius matsubarai
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


sakuradai 桜鯛 サクラダイ cherry sea bream
Sacura margaritacea
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


Taiwandai 台湾鯛 タイワンダイ "sea bream from Taiwan)
Argyrops bleekeri
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


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Let us look at some kigo with the sea bream !



kigo for late spring

Sakuradai 桜鯛 red sea bream
Sparus species and sometimes also applied to "red snapper" Lutianus species.
Literally the name means "Cherry Blossom Bream", because of the delicate pink meat.
During the Flower viewing season, they are called
Cherry blossom-viewing sea bream, hanamidai 花見鯛

nokkomidai 乗込鯛（のっこみだい）"pulling sea bream in the boat"
sugatami no tai 姿見の鯛（すがたみのたい）
ikadai 烏賊鯛（いかだい / イカダイ）



taiami, tai-ami 鯛網 net for fishing sea bream
different types of nets:
tai katsura-ami 鯛葛網（たいかつらあみ）
gochi-ami 吾智網（ごちあみ）
tai jikogi-ami 鯛地漕網（たいじこぎあみ）
tai shibari-ami 鯛縛網（たいしばりあみ）



ukidai 浮鯛 (うきだい/ 浮き鯛 ) "floating sea bream"
sea bream coming up on the high tide in spring, they look like floaters.


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kigo for summer

arai tai 洗鯛（あらいたい）"washed sea bream"
prepared as sashimi


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kigo for all winter

WASHOKU
kinmedai 金目鯛 (きんめだい) Alfonsino, "Golden Eye Tai"
also sakurazushi 桜寿し sea bream sushi
Südlicher Kaiserbarsch, Nordischer Schleimkopf



WASHOKU
taiyaki　鯛焼き sweet waffles in the form of a sea bream
stall selling tai waffles, taiyaki ya 鯛焼屋（たいやきや）



taichiri 鯛ちり（たいちり）nabe hodgepodge with sea bream
. . . CLICK here for Photos !



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The following are NOT KIGO !


Setonaikai 瀬戸内海 best for tai fishing, also the coast around Matsuyama, Shikoku.


Special sea bream dishes 鯛料理 tai ryoori
. . . CLICK here for Photos !


kurodai miso くろだい味噌 / 黒鯛味噌/ 黒鯛みそ
miso paste with black tai fish
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
from Hiroshima


tai-aji chirimen 鯛味ちりめん
small white fish simmerd with tai broth
from Hiroshima
. . . CLICK here for Photos !






taimeshi 鯛めし rice with sea bream
from Shimane and Matsuyama
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
Reis mit Seebrasse


tai no hamayaki 鯛の浜焼き
sakuradai no hamayaki 櫻鯛の浜焼き
from Kasaoka Town, Okayama


tai no karamushi 鯛の唐蒸し
steamed sea bream with vegetables
Speciality of Kaga ryoori, Ishikawa
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
gedünstete Seebrasse mit Gemüse




tai senbei 鯛せんべい rice crackers with sea bream


Uwajima taimeshi 宇和島鯛めし rice with sea bream from Uwajima
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
from Ehime



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Proverbs with the TAI

ebi de tai o tsuru 海老で鯛を釣る to catch a sea bream with a shrimp
To have a great profit with little effort.
"To throw a sprat to catch a mackerel."
zooni de tai o tsuru 雑魚で鯛釣る
蝦蛄で鯛を釣る
麦飯で鯛を釣る


fugu ni atareba tai ni mo ataru 河豚にも当たれば鯛にも当たる
"you can eat poisonous globe fish, or bad tai sometimes"
You never know when bad luck will hit you.


iwashi no atama o sen yori tai no i ni tsuke
イワシの頭をせんより鯛の尾につけ
Better be the head of a small group of people than the tail of a large group.
or the opposite
tai no oo yori iwashi no atama 鯛の尾より鰯の頭



kusatte mo tai 腐っても鯛 "Even a rotten tai is worthwhile"
A great person retans his worth, no matter how the circumstances.


uchi no tai yori tonari no iwashi 内の鯛より隣の鰯
"Better the sardines from the neighbour than the sea bream in your own posession"
To be easily envious of anything of other people.



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way




Traditional Folk Toys
all sorts of Sea Bream dolls


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HAIKU and SENRYU

俎板に鱗ちりしく桜鯛　
manaita ni uroko chirishiku sakuradai

on the chopping board
the fish scales are everywhere -
cherry sea bream
　　　　　　　　　　　
Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規


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安宿とあなどるなかれ桜鯛　
yasuyado to anadoru nakare sakuradai

no need to look down
at this cheap inn ...
(they serve) cherry sea bream　

Morita Tooge, Morita Toge 森田峠


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鯛網や浜街道は山に入り　　
tai-ami ya hama-kaidoo wa yama ni iri

net for sea breams -
the old beach road leads
into the mountains
　　　　　　　　　
Uchida Hyakken 内田百閒 (1889 - 1971)

Hamakaido is one of the old trading roads from Edo via Mito toward Iwanuma in Northern Japan, along the Sanriku Beach 三陸浜街道.
. . . CLICK here for Photos !
There are other old trading routes named like this, for example in Kishu.


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Related words


Sawachi ryoori 皿鉢料理 Sawachi cuisine, celebration food
Kochi



***** FISH AND SEAFOOD SAIJIKI

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