A unique offering in Colorado Springs was a big hit at the recent Food & Wine Classic in Aspen: a fish called buri. You can only find it locally on the menu at Four by Brother Luck.

Owner Brother Luck got hooked on buri a few years ago when he was traveling in Japan.

“It’s called Japanese buri or amberjack,” he said. “It’s a very fatty fish with a buttery flavor, perfect for sushi. I found out it wasn’t being imported to the U.S. I offered to be a representative for Shoku En Co., the company that was producing it.”

The “Top Chef” contestant has been serving buri at his eatery ever since, usually in a very simple presentation of raw fish with sesame salad dressing. That’s exactly how he served it to the hungry crowd in Aspen.

He and chefs who were helping him boned, skinned and sliced a pile of the fish for the event.

“We filleted and sliced about 80 pounds of the fish, straight from Japan, for the event,” said Supansa Banker, executive corporate chef for the Wobbly Olive who was working with Luck at the event. “The first day we almost ran out, the dish was so popular.”

I can attest to the popularity. The line never let up for people coming back for their second, third and fourth servings over the three-day event.

So what’s so great about this fish?

“There are many aspects of this beautiful buri I’d like to mention,” said Hiromy Hung Pfosi, sales and marketing manager in the United States, who was at the booth with Luck.

Here are a few she mentioned:

• Sustainably raised in open net ocean farms in the Shirahama/Wakayam prefecture area in conjunction with Kindai University, to ensure the quality of aquaculture techniques.

• Rich buttery flavor and firm texture to meat that is nutritionally superior. The flavor and quality are enhanced by the proprietary feed given to fish, which includes green tea.

• Versatility of the fish because it’s marbled with good fats. It’s great as sushi/sashimi but also delicious cooked.

• No gases or other additives are used to extend the shelf life. Japan is quite strict about this, and no fish can be treated with carbon monoxide, which provides the bright pinkish-red color you see in hamachi in so many U.S. sushi restaurants.

• A state-of-the-art, eco- friendly processing facility in Shingu, where fish are processed cleanly, efficiently and daily, using proprietary film and a 3D freezing process that ensures its quality. If properly stored, the buri can remain fresh in the freezer for up to two years.

“This fish compares to yellow tail tuna,” said Banker. “I’m a big fan of yellow tail, but buri is cleaner, not as fatty as yellow tail. Because of the freezing method, the fish is processed right out of the ocean and shipped. And because no gases are used, the fish is its natural color, not the bright red of other tuna that has been treated with gas.”

You’ll have to dine at Luck’s eatery to sample this delicious fish. It’s not in retail markets here yet. But stay tuned. Pfosi is exploring opportunities to get buri on more consumers’ tables. And Banker has some in her freezer to play with and may decide to get it on her menu, too.