Bluefin tuna, known as toro in Japan, is largely considered to be the height of sushi. A good bluefin can command a surprisingly high price in auction, routinely shattering records for high seafood prices. However, this was not always the case. A traditionally-minded sushi connoisseur prefers the subtler tasting fish over the melt-in-your-mouth flavors of fatty tuna. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that the tuna was considered a garbage fish, and the coveted fatty belly cuts were cut off and given to the cats.
Bluefin sushi was originally popularized by a Japanese airline, when the executives were looking for a cost-effective food to serve to passengers. There was a lot of bluefin tuna available at the time, so the fish proved to be a good candidate. The country’s consumption of bluefin took off from there, and today Japan buys up about three fourths of the world’s tuna catch.
At our Japanese restaurant in Lynnwood, you can experience the great taste of the bluefin tuna during its seasonal availability.