Food · Fermented foods

Hirame (Olive Flounder / Bastard Halibut)

ひらめ (Hirame)

Also known as: Hirame, Olive flounder, Bastard halibut, Paralichthys olivaceus, 鮃

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	ひらめ
Common Japanese notations	ひらめ, 鮃, ヒラメ
Origin	Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus); both wild and farmed; principal modern domestic farming regions Kagoshima, Oita, Ehime, Mie; significant Korean imported supply for volume sushi-grade
Typical functions	Premium Edomae sushi white-flesh fish — defining sushi staple, Sashimi engawa (fin-side fatty cut) — premium delicacy, Kobu-jime (kelp-cured) traditional preparation
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard food labeling. Wild vs farmed disclosure essential. Domestic vs Korean imported origin disclosure. Fish allergen recommended.

Hirame (ひらめ / 鮃) — olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) — is a defining premium Edomae sushi white-flesh fish. Both wild and farmed (Kagoshima, Oita, Ehime, Mie domestic farms; significant Korean imports for volume). Engawa (fin-side fatty cut) is the premium delicacy.

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Classification

Tags below link to other ingredients sharing the same attribute, so you can pivot from one ingredient to its peers.

Product applications

Functions

Flavoring486

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient512

Origin

Marine-derived163

Common OEM product categories

Finished-product categories where Japanese OEM manufacturers commonly formulate with this ingredient.

Fresh whole hirame (premium foodservice)
Sushi-grade hirame fillet supply

Ingredient profile

Paralichthys olivaceus olive flounder. Wild and farmed.

OEM applications

Premium Edomae sushi white-flesh.

Engawa premium delicacy.

Kobu-jime kelp-cured.

For OEM: sushi-grade fillet supply, foodservice supply.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. Wild/farmed disclosure. Korean imported disclosure. Fish allergen recommended.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Niche specialty in Japanese-cuisine channels.
USA	Established US Japanese-cuisine specialty.
China	Established global trade.
Korea	Korea is major hirame producer (gwangeo / 광어).

Market reference formulations

Example finished products will be added after verification of origin.

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Seasonality & supply calendar

Harvest months: Wild: October – February (寒びらめ); cultured: year-round
Peak supply: December – January
Off-season: Cultured supply continuous; wild summer hirame is lower-grade (青葉びらめ)

Source: 農林水産省漁業・養殖業生産統計. Aomori / Hokkaido lead wild landings; Oita / Mie lead cultured production.

Storage requirements

How the receiving OEM facility needs to handle inbound raw material.

Temperature: Chilled 0°C for fresh; frozen −18°C
Conditions: Whole fish gel-iced; fillet vacuum-packed
Shelf life: Chilled 5–7 days; frozen 4 months

Supply concentration

Where this ingredient comes from — useful for single-source-risk planning.

Primary regions: Wild: Aomori, Hokkaido; cultured: Oita, Mie, Kagoshima
Import dependence: Cultured supply mostly domestic; Korean imports for foodservice

農林水産省漁業・養殖業生産統計

Certifications commonly available

Certification schemes commonly obtainable for this raw material. Always confirm the specific supplier's current certificate before contracting.

Scheme	Availability
ASC	On-request	Cultured hirame operations
Halal	Inherent
Kosher	Inherent

Quick answers

What is Hirame (Olive Flounder / Bastard Halibut)?: Hirame (ひらめ / 鮃) — olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) — is a defining premium Edomae sushi white-flesh fish. Both wild and farmed (Kagoshima, Oita, Ehime, Mie domestic farms; significant Korean imports for volume). Engawa (fin-side fatty cut) is the premium delicacy.
What is the regulatory status of Hirame (Olive Flounder / Bastard Halibut) in Japan?: Standard food labeling. Wild vs farmed disclosure essential. Domestic vs Korean imported origin disclosure. Fish allergen recommended.
What products typically use Hirame (Olive Flounder / Bastard Halibut)?: Fresh whole hirame (premium foodservice) / Sushi-grade hirame fillet supply
Where does Hirame (Olive Flounder / Bastard Halibut) come from?: Olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus); both wild and farmed; principal modern domestic farming regions Kagoshima, Oita, Ehime, Mie; significant Korean imported supply for volume sushi-grade
What is the INCI / JSCI labeling name for Hirame (Olive Flounder / Bastard Halibut)?: JSCI: ひらめ

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Same category

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Used in similar product applications

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Sharing similar functions

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From the same origin

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References

文部科学省 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Standard Tables of Food Composition — ひらめ各形態

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.