>porgy and red snapper

We thought red snappers were just that. Red snappers. And sea bream, too - whatever. They all look the same, do we have to be precise? Really?

Of course chefs now have to be precise, not only precise, the names have to appeal to our ever demanding palates.

It could get messy.

Ah, the Japanese, the sashimi masters, have already figured out what to call what. So, alternatives to porgy and bass, grudgingly admitted, might just be established Japanese names.

One important word to know - tai. The Japanese love love love tai, a general word for snapper or bream. They have all sorts of tasty fish named tai. For example, madai (ma + tai) "the genuine tai". Madai is starting to sprout in English menus.

>Wild red snapper madai arajiru miso soup,
Wild red snapper madai with vegetables, oriental spicy dressing - Megu, New York, NY

>Madai mushi, sake poached madai - Japonais, Las Vegas, NV


<---This funny guy is called amadai (ama "sweet" + tai)

>Crispy amadai served with pistachio oil - Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV

and he is kurodai (kuro "black" + tai) -->