Tai sushi on laurel leaf
Tai is a type of Japanese sea bream, but it is difficult to get outside of Japan. During the months of March and April, the tai turns reddish. Schools of bream move toward the coasts of Japan's Inland Sea to spawn, and when a school is caught up in the current and pushed near the surface, the waters swell slightly. Those bream caught in early spring are prized for their bright color and rich flavor, and are sometimes called "cherry blossom bream," because the season coincides with the much-celebrated blossoming of the cherry trees.