Tuna
(Maguro)
Thunnus
orientalis (Blue Fin Tuna)
Also see: Tuna
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Archeological
sites have discovered that tuna
has been consumed raw in the Japanese islands for nearly 5000 years.
Out of
them all, the blue fin tuna, or the hon
maguro is the favorite choice in Japan.
The blue fin tuna swims the in
the deepest cold currents out of all tunas, and has the most firm
texture of
them all. It also develops a fatty belly section that is enjoyed as a
delicacy.
The tuna has the highest fat content during the winter season. The blue
fin
tuna can grow up to over 7 ft and weigh over 600lbs. Some tuna were
auctioned off
at the fish market for about $60,000 a piece.
The
tuna has two main cuts. The regular
tuna and tuna belly (fatty tuna). The tuna belly sections are more
expensive
than the regular cuts since they are highly valued these days, and they
only
consist of 25 to 35% of the whole tuna.
The blue fin tuna has a cobalt colored back and
a silver
belly. The eyes look extremely black and shiny against the silver face,
and it
is believed that the name maguro
was
derived from the term meguro (black
eye). |
