GINDARA

The sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) is one of two members of the fish family Anoplopomatidae and the only species in the genus Anoplopoma. In English, common names for it include sable (US), butterfish (US), black cod (US, UK, Canada), blue cod (UK), bluefish (UK), candlefish (UK), coal cod (UK), snowfish (Thailand) although many of these names also refer to other, unrelated, species. The sablefish is found in muddy sea beds in the North Pacific Ocean at depths of 300 to 2700 m (980 to 8,860 ft) and is commercially important to Japan.

Adult sablefish are opportunistic piscivores, preying on Alaskan pollock, capelin, herring, and Pacific cod, as well as squid, euphausiids, and jellyfish. Sablefish are long-lived, with a maximum recorded age of 94 years although most of the commercial catch in many areas is less than 20 years old.

Sablefish growth varies regionally, with larger maximum sizes in Alaska, where total lengths up to 114 cm (45 in) weights up to 25 kg (55 lb) have been recorded. However, average lengths are typically below 70 cm (28 in) and 4 kg (8.8 lb).

Sablefish are typically caught in bottom trawl, longline and pot fisheries. In the Northeast Pacific, sablefish fisheries are managed separately in three areas: Alaska, the Canadian province of British Columbia, and the west coast of the United States (Washington, Oregon, and California). The sablefish longline fishery in Alaska has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council as is the US West Coast limited entry groundfish trawl fishery which includes sablefish.

Longline fisheries in Alaska frequently experience predation of sablefish by killer whales and sperm whales which remove the fish from the hooks during the process of retrieving the gear.

Sablefish aquaculture is an area of active research.

The white flesh of the sablefish is soft-textured and mildly flavored. It is considered a delicacy in many countries. When cooked, its flaky texture is similar to Patagonian toothfish (Chilean sea bass). The meat has a high fat content and can be prepared in many ways, including grilling, smoking, frying, or served as sushi. Sablefish flesh is high in omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA. It contains about as much as wild salmon.

Smoked sablefish, often called simply "sable", has long been a staple of New York appetizing stores, one of many smoked fish products usually eaten with bagels for breakfast in American Jewish cuisine.

In Japanese cuisine, the black cod (gindara) is often cooked saikyo yaki style, marinated for several days in sweet white miso or sake lees (kasuzuke) then broiled. The Japanese-Peruvian-American chef Nobu Matsuhisa introduced his version of gindara saikyo yaki at his restaurant in Los Angeles, and brought it to his New York restaurant Nobu in 1994, where it is considered his signature dish, under the name "Black Cod with Miso".