Tai, the sea bream

What it means

Tai rhymes with medetai — joyful, auspicious. So a whole grilled sea bream, with head and tail, appears at weddings, birthdays and New Year.

Ebisu, one of the Seven Lucky Gods and patron of fishermen and merchants, carries a tai under his arm and a fishing rod in his hand.

Its red skin is the colour of celebration, and its proud shape earned it the nickname “king of fish”.

At the sushi counter

Madai nigiri is delicate and slightly sweet, often served with the skin lightly seared (matsukawa-zukuri). Tai-meshi, sea bream cooked whole on rice, is a classic celebratory dish.

Good to know

• Taiyaki, the fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste, is shaped like a tai.
• Okuizome, a baby’s first-meal ceremony, traditionally features a whole tai.
• The Seto Inland Sea is famous for wild sea bream.