Kohada nigiri is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of kohada or gizzard shad, a silver-skinned fish that's inexpensive and mostly used for sushi. The fish is typically salted and marinated in vinegar, which brings out its umami flavors.

The gizzard shad is called kohada when it reaches about 7 to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) in legth (medium-sized fish). Shinkodenotes small shad, while nakazumi denotes fully-grown adult gizzard shad. It's recommended to prepare kohada nigiri sushi from November through January, when the fish becomes somewhat fattier.