Today's post is by Shinji - a Japanese fishmonger.
tuna and avocado
Tuna is a popular seafood for sushi around the world. In Japan there are five species of tuna that is sold that is sashimi-quality. Sashimi-quality means that it can be eaten raw. The pack will say "sashimi you" 刺身用 on it in Japanese. If it needs to be cooked it will say "kannetsu you" 感熱用.
#1 Yellowfin tuna (きはだまぐろ, Kihada maguro, Thunnus albacares)
Frozen wild from Taiwan or the Pacific Ocean
You find frozen tuna with the sign of ‘キハダマグロ’(kihada maguro, yellowfin) ‘解凍’(kaito, defrosted) ‘天然’(tennen, wild) on the package. This is the most common type of tuna sold on sale in the supermarket in Japan.
Fresh wild from local
The season in Japan is in Spring, from the middle of March to May. You can enjoy it fresh with a hint of refreshing acidity.
#2 Bigeye tuna (ばちまぐろ, bachi maguro, Thunnus obesus) is also often sold at the supermarket. It is similar to yellowfin tuna, but the color of the meat is redder and it has a richer flavor. It is bigger than yellowfin tuna. If the size of the bachi maguro is big it is sold as ‘大ばち'(oobachi, big size) on the package, it will have a nice amount of fat in the meat. Oobachi maguro is sold as thee types: ‘赤身' (akami, lean meat),中トロ(chutoro, medium fatty tuna), and 大トロ(ootoro, fatty tuna from the belly). A lot of fish is harvested all year round in the world, super-frozen on the boat, or air shipped to Japan. There is enough supply so it is not farmed.
Frozen wild from Taiwan or the Pacific Ocean
You can find the sign of ‘バチマグロ’ (bachi maguro, bigeye) ‘解凍’ (kaito, defrosted) ‘天然’ (Tennenn, wild) on the package. It is available all year long.
Fresh wild from local or the Pacific Ocean
The season in Japan is from May to July. You can find the sign of ‘生’(nama, fresh), ‘旬' (shun, season) or 'バチマグロ’ (bachi maguro, bigeye) on the package.
#3 Northern Bluefin tuna, (本マグロ, hon maguro, Thunus thynnus) is an expensive tuna, usually farmed in Japan or in the Mediterranean Sea. It is regarded as the king of tuna, very fatty and it is sold as chutoro (fatty tuna), or ootoro (fatty belly tuna). Wild tuna is very rare and extremely expensive and you can get it only at fish markets like Tsukiji Market, or you can try at some top notch sushi restaurants.
Frozen farmed from Mediterranean Sea
It is available all year long. It is distributed as super-frozen tuna (-60℃) and be sold after half defrosted at supermarkets. You can find the tuna when you see the sign of ‘本マグロ’ (hon maguro, northern bluefin tuna) ’解凍’ (kaito, defrosted) and ’養殖’ (Youshoku, farmed) on the package of tuna. You have choices of ‘赤身’ (akami, red lean meat), ‘中トロ’ (chuoro, red and pink gradational meat), and '大トロ’ (ootoro, white pinkish meat from belly).
Fresh farmed from Kyushu in Japan
It is available all year long. It is distributed as a whole or loin and cut into sashimi portion in the supermarket. It is more flavorful and has a better texture than frozen tuna. You can find the tuna when you see the sign of ‘本マグロ’ (hon maguro, northern bluefin tuna), ‘生’ (nama, fresh) and ‘養殖’ (youshoku, farmed) on the package of tuna. You have choices of ‘赤身’ (akami, red lean meat), ‘中トロ’ (chutoro, red and pink gradational meat), and '大トロ’ (ootoro, white pinkish meat from belly).
Fresh wild from all over the world
Wild northern bluefin tuna is very limited, and you will find it only at some top notch sushi restaurants. The price completely follows to the market auction price. The tuna from Ohma ‘大間’ in Aomori prefecture is regarded as the best bluefin tuna in Japan.
Fresh wild from the Sea of Japan
From fall to winter, wild young bluefin tuna, ‘めじまぐろ, meji maguro’ swims up along the Japan sea coast to the north. They are caught by net and when the catch is good, the price is reasonable and great chance to try wild bluefin tuna.
#4 Southern bluefin tuna (南(インド)まぐろ, minami or indo maguro, Thunnus Haccoyii) is an expensive tuna, farmed in Australia. More than 90 percent of harvest goes to Japan. It tastes similar to Northern bluefin tuna, is fatty but has a bit of acidity. It is less expensive than Northern bluefin tuna, you can buy akami (lean meat), chutoro (medium fatty tuna), or ootoro (fatty belly tuna). Personally I prefer Southern bluefin to Northern bluefin, especially when it is seared outside. The acidity turns to sweet.
Frozen farmed from Australia
Available all year long, most of revolving (kaitenzushi) sushi restaurants in Japan use this for maguro for chutoro or ootoro. At the supermarket, you can identify this with the sign of ‘インドマグロ or 南マグロ’(Indo maguro or minimi maguro, Southern bluefin tuna) ’解凍’ (kaito, defrosted) and ’養殖’ (youshoku, farmed). You have choices of ‘赤身’ (akami, red lean meat), ‘中トロ’ (chutoro, red and pink gradational meat).
'大トロ’ (ootoro, white pinkish meat from belly) is usually separated and sold to sushi restaurants so that it is difficult to find in the super market
Fresh farmed from Australia
Season in the summer time, available from June to August. Air shipped to Japan. Lots of sushi chain restaurants do the tuna promotion. At the supermarket, you can identify this with the sign of ‘インドマグロor南マグロ’(indo maguro or minimi maguro, southern bluefin tuna) ’生’ (Nama, fresh) and ’養殖’ (Youshyoku, farmed). You have choices of ‘赤身’ (Akami, red lean meat), ‘中トロ’ (Chuoro, red and pink gradational meat) and '大トロ’ (Otoro, white pinkish meat from belly).
#5 albacore tuna has white pinkish color lean meat and is used mostly for canned tuna due to its quick spoilage. The canned tuna in Japan is called sea chicken. For sashimi use, you can find super-frozen tuna (SF tuna) for all year long, and fresh tuna in the spring. Fresh tuna has less fat than SF tuna. This is because of the harvest points. SF tuna is mostly harvested from cold waters north of Canada, and the fresh fish is from warm waters in the south Pacific Ocean.
Frozen wild from Canada
Available all year long, most of revolving sushi restaurants in Japan use this for トロビンチョウ (torobincho , fatty albacore), At the supermarket, you can identify this with the sign of ‘トロビンチョウ’ (torobinchou, fatty albacore) ’解凍’ (kaitou, defrosted) .
Frozen wild from Pacific
Available all year long, most of revolving sushi restaurants in Japan use this for ビンチョウ (binchou , albacore). At the supermarket, you can identify this with the sign of ‘びんちょう’ (torobinchou, albacore) ’解凍’ (kaitou, defrosted) .
Fresh wild from Pacific
Season is in the summer time, available from May to Nov. At the supermarket, you can identify this with the sign of ‘ビンチョウ’ (vinchou, albacore) ’生’ (nama, fresh) .
Tuna Bak Kut Teh Soup (inspired from Singaporean cuisine)
These pictures are bigeye tuna (bachi maguro in Japanese), which I bought at out local supermarket in Tokyo. Can you see the difference between this and regular tuna? I bet you have never seen this in your supermarket outside of Japan. The package consists from only blood meat with bones and the sinew meat, that is unsuitable for sashimi, but good for cooking. We usually call it ‘ara’ in Japan. For instance if it is tuna, we call it ‘maguro no ara’. Ara can be head, collar backbone, or trimmed meat, and is good for grilling, in soups, or simmered in a sweet soy broth for Tsukudani 佃煮.
I made Tuna Bak Kut Teh Soup with this tuna after living in Singapore for nearly two years. Bak Kut Teh is a Singapore local food, flavorful soup with pork rib. I used tuna instead of pork because I wanted to give my wife and 2 year-old son more iron in their diet. I cooked it in a high pressure cooker to make the tuna soft like fatty pork rib which is what Bak Kut Teh is traditionally made with.
· Tuna ara (Maguro no ara) 1 pack *cut into a bite size then put in the boiled water for 20 seconds to clean.
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2 whole onions, cut in half
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· 1 garlic bulb, no need to peel the skin
· 2 liters water
· Bak Kut Teh mixed herbs and spices 1 satchet *Eu Yan Sang brand
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Salt
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Salt · Soy sauce
· Black pepper
How to cook
Put the tuna ara, onion, garlic, water, and Bak Kut Teh mix in a high pressure pot and cook for 30 mints on low heat. Season to taste with salt, soy sauce, and black pepper.
The tuna went soft and was good but something was missing compared to Bak Kut Teh.
I used bigeye tuna which is lean red meat, so that if I could used farmed fatty bluefin tuna, it would have been better.
