Suketōdara, or Alaska pollock, is one of the most important commercial fish caught in Hokkaido and ranks among the island’s most abundant catches. It is valued not only as a seafood fish but also as a versatile ingredient used to make traditional Japanese foods such as kamaboko fish cakes, tarako salted cod roe and mentaiko.
Suketōdara has a slender body with relatively large eyes and a large mouth. One of its most distinctive characteristics is that the lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw.
Unlike related cod-family species such as Madara, or Pacific cod, and Komai, Suketōdara has no chin barbel, or only an extremely small one. These features make it possible to distinguish the fish from other members of the cod family found in Hokkaido.
Suketōdara is one of Hokkaido’s major commercial fish species, with the second-largest catch volume in the prefecture. Fishermen target schools of pollock that migrate close to the seafloor.
A band-shaped fishing net is positioned along the seabed where the fish are expected to travel. Fish become caught in the mesh, and the net is then hauled aboard the fishing vessel to bring the catch to the surface.
The flesh of Suketōdara is commonly processed into surimi, a finely minced fish paste used to make kamaboko and other Japanese fish cakes. This processing tradition has made pollock an important ingredient in everyday Japanese cuisine far beyond the areas where it is caught.
The female fish provide another prized product: their ovaries. Salted Suketōdara roe is processed into tarako, while seasoned versions are used to make mentaiko, a popular spicy cod roe enjoyed throughout Japan.
Tarako reaches the market mainly from autumn through spring, making the roe an important part of Hokkaido’s seasonal seafood industry.
In Rausu, on the Shiretoko Peninsula, exceptionally fresh Suketōdara can also be enjoyed as sashimi. Eating the fish raw allows diners to experience a side of this familiar commercial species that is rarely encountered outside its freshest fishing grounds.
The main season for Suketōdara is winter, with December as the peak. The fish is especially associated with the colder months, when it becomes an important seasonal ingredient in Hokkaido.
December, January and February