akami

noun

aka·​mi ä-ˈkä-mē 

: the lean, reddish flesh from along the spine of the tuna that is used especially for sushi and sashimi

When preparing this sushi at home, the choice of tuna is nearly always the akami, the nonfatty red meat, because of its availability and reasonable price.

—Hiroko Shimbo, The Sushi Experience, 2006

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese, literally, "lean meat," from aka "red" + mi "body, flesh, meat"

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

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