Seafood
Pacific bluefin tuna
クロマグロ くろまぐろ kuromaguro
Also known askuromaguro, honmaguro, maguro
At its best in Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec
When it is at its best
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
In seasonAvailable
How to cook
Sashimi and sushi
Each cut tastes different: lean akami, medium chutoro, fatty otoro.
Zuke (marinated in soy sauce)
Marinated in soy sauce. Suits the lean akami.
Negima nabe (tuna and leek hot pot)
Chunks simmered with leek. An old Edo dish.
Grilled fish collar
Salted and grilled. The meat near the bone is the best part.
How to choose
Akami should be vivid with fine, even grain. Toro should show parallel lines of fat.
Storage
Eat the same day when refrigerated. If freezing, freeze fast and thaw only what you will eat.
Main areas
Good to know
Pole-and-line fishing at Oma in Aomori is famous. Full-cycle aquaculture is now established, easing pressure on wild stocks.
