bone at the base of a fin(ENGAWA)
It refers to the muscle at the base of the dorsal and tail fins of flounder and flatfish, and is characterized by its firm texture. It is said that the name was derived from the appearance of the muscles with threads, which resemble the “edge” of a Japanese house. Both fish have the habit of not only swimming but also diving into the sand, which allows the muscles in their fins to develop easily, creating a unique texture that is unique to the Engawa. However, because flounder is a small and expensive fish, flatfish engawa is a rare part of the fish. Therefore, most conveyor-belt sushi restaurants use “flatfish” or “halibut,” a fish in the same family as flatfish, for their engawa. Both of these fish are caught in larger quantities than flatfish, and because they are larger, they can be served at a lower price.
