Modori-gatsuo 戻り鰹

Also called returning bonito, autumn bonito, katsuo

Autumn bonito on its way back south. Cold water puts fat on it, so it is richer than the lean spring bonito (hatsu-gatsuo).

Bonito ride the warm current north in early summer. In spring, the first catch is called hatsu-gatsuo, first bonito, and it is lean and clean tasting.

In autumn they swim back south as the cold current gets stronger. The colder water fattens them up, and that returning fish is modori-gatsuo, returning bonito.

So the same fish shows up twice a year with two different personalities. I like the autumn one because it keeps some of the spring sharpness and adds fat on top.

See alsoAkami, chu-toro and o-toro