Kinmedai / Splendid Alfonsino

Kinmedai / splendid alfonsino (きんめだい in Japanese) is a fish with red skin and golden eyes, measuring 30-50cm. It is fatty all year round, has soft flesh and few small bones, making it easy to eat. It is eaten in a variety of Japanese and Western recipes, including simmered, grilled and steamed dishes, soup, bouillabaisse, carpaccio, and meuniere.

Kinmedai is high in protein, but because it is a deep-sea fish, it also has a relatively high lipid content. DHA and EPA, which are known to be found in large amounts in blueback fish, are also found to be high in kinmedai, which is a white fish. DHA and EPA have the effect of reducing neutral fats and cholesterol, and are expected to be helpful in preventing high blood pressure, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and dementia.
 Astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment component contained in the red skin of kinmedai, is a noteworthy component that has strong antioxidant properties and is expected to prevent cell aging. 
Kinmedai also contains a lot of vitamin B12, which is essential for maintaining blood formation and nerve function, as well as phosphorus, which is a key component in bones and teeth.Since vitamin B12 is water-soluble, it is good to eat kinmedai in recipes that produce a broth, such as in simmered dishes or aqua pazza.
Note that due to the mercury concentration levels in kinmedai, pregnant women in Japan are advised to eat no more than 80g of kinmedai once a week.

If you are not going to eat the splendid alfonsino right away, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, or place the fish in a bag or container filled with water, and store in the freezer. When defrosting, place it in a container filled with water. It can be frozen for up to two weeks.

Despite the name “Kinmedai,” directly translated as “sea bream with golden eyes,” the splendid alfonsino is a deep-sea fish. Instead of a swim bladder, the red snapper stores fat all over its body to gain buoyancy, which is one of the reasons why it is so delicious.

Kinmedai accumulates trace amounts of mercury, so pregnant women should limit their consumption to one fish per week.