Sanma is the Japanese word for the Pacific Saury, a skinny, silver fish that is commonly eaten in Japan. In Japanese, sanma is written 秋刀魚, which literally translates to 'autumn sword fish.' The name stems from the fact that sanma are caught in the autumn, and are long, skinny, and silver, much like a sword. Sanma are usually caught from late August through November, when they return south to lay their eggs. The later in the season the fish are caught, the more fat they will have developed, and therefore the tastier they will be. In Japan, almost half of all sanma are caught off the coast of Hokkaido, and the rest are mostly caught along the eastern coast of Japan. Sanma is prepared in myriad ways. However, the most traditional and popular preparation is called shio yaki（塩焼き), which means 'salt grilled.' There is even a popular sanma festival in Tokyo each year that features thousands of grilled sanma! Approx 500gm per pkt