Roast “Black Scraper” Fish in Sweet/Spiced Soy Sauce

Got a hankering for black scraper fish, but can’t make it to a sushi bar in Kyoto? Well, you’re in luck, because this can of “Roast Fish” may be lurking on shelves of Asian markets nearby.

Had I ever heard of black scraper before? Is that even an appealing name for a fish? Double nope. But my firm rule is: If I’ve never tried it before, I try it.

The can felt super light, noticeably lighter than the similarly packaged eel products. Inside, there was nearly zero ounces of sauce. Normal or a mistake—no clue.

The scraper is revealed to be small flakes of nearly jerky-textured, heavily-seasoned fish. Both the taste of the spices and the texture of the fish will be thoroughly familiar to those who’ve had Asian canned eel in the past. No real fishy smells or flavors here; it’s all about the sugar, cinnamon, chili, ginger and other spices. It’s fun, it’s pleasant, the chew is the main entertainment value.

I turned the fish out onto a bowl of hatch chile grits. I upped the heat a bit with the habanero Espinaler sauce, which delivered a fruity punch that made breakfast more of a wake-up.

A note about allergies: I avoid shellfish because of serious troubles. The ingredient list here discloses that shrimp are in the mix. That’s relatively common, as you may well know, in various Asian seafood sauces, but amounts vary very widely. With this new-to-me fish, I gnawed off a BB-sized piece and chewed while the grits were cooking. No reaction at all, no need to reach for the EpiPen or even the Benadryl. Still, your results may vary, and it’s always prudent to stare hard at those labels before diving headlong into the deep end.