Greater amberjack and Ricciola are the same fish. Different languages, different markets, one species — so a recipe calling for one works exactly as written with the other.
Ricciola is the greater amberjack — a fast, powerful Carangidae of the Mediterranean and warm Atlantic, and one of the few large fish that is genuinely excellent both raw and cooked. Italian kitchens treat it as a premium fish for carpaccio and crudo; Spanish ones, where it is pez limón, grill it in thick steaks or cure it. The flesh is pale, dense and clean-tasting with a high fat content along the belly, which is why the closely related Japanese species is the hamachi of sushi counters. Size matters more than with most fish: small specimens are mild and forgiving, while very large ones can carry parasites and are usually frozen before serving raw. It is farmed increasingly in Spain and Italy. Distinguish it from the various fish called jurel, which are its much smaller relatives in the same family.
One species, one fishmonger’s counter at a time.
| Country | Called |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Greater amberjack |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Greater amberjack |
| 🇫🇷France | Sériole couronnée |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Pez limón |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Charuteiro |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Ricciola |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Bernsteinmakrele |
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