Ordering sushi can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re not particularly familiar with the dish. Sometimes menu descriptions are not very clear, or they may use vocabulary that you are not familiar with. It’s tempting to say no and order a California roll because at least you’re familiar with it.
        It’s normal to feel a little insecure when you place an order outside of your comfort zone. However, you should not let hesitation hold you back. Do not deprive yourself of truly delicious treats! Tuna is one of the most popular ingredients in sushi and the vocabulary associated with it can be confusing. Don’t worry: you can easily begin to understand some of the general terms used when understanding tuna and its connection to sushi.
        The next time your friends suggest a sushi night, you’ll have the added knowledge and confidence to place an order. Maybe you’ll even introduce your friends to some delicious new options they didn’t even know existed.
        It’s tempting to call all raw fish “sushi” and that’s it. However, it is important to know the difference between sushi and sashimi when ordering at a sushi restaurant. When handling food, it’s best to use proper terminology so you know exactly what’s on the table.
        When you think of sushi, you probably think of beautiful rice, fish and seaweed rolls. Sushi rolls come in a wide variety of variations and can contain fish, nori, rice, shellfish, vegetables, tofu, and eggs. In addition, sushi rolls may contain raw or cooked ingredients. The rice used in sushi is a special short-grain rice flavored with vinegar to give it a sticky texture that helps the sushi chef create rolls that are then sliced ​​and artfully presented.
        On the other hand, the serving of sashimi was much simpler but just as beautiful. Sashimi is premium, thinly sliced ​​raw fish, laid out perfectly on your plate. It is often unpretentious, allowing the beauty of the meat and the precision of the chef’s knife to be the focus of the dish. When you enjoy sashimi, you highlight the quality of the seafood as stellar taste.
        There are many different types of tuna that can be used in sushi. Some types may be familiar to you, but others may be new to you. Maguro, or bluefin tuna, is one of the most common types of sushi tuna you can try at a sushi restaurant. Three types of bluefin tuna can be found in different parts of the world: Pacific, Atlantic and Southern. It is one of the most commonly caught species of tuna and the vast majority of bluefin tuna caught is then used to make sushi.
        Bluefin tuna are the largest species of tuna, reaching lengths of up to 10 feet and weights of up to 1,500 pounds (according to WWF). It also fetches sky-high prices at auctions, sometimes over $2.75 million (from Japanese Taste). It is highly valued for its fatty flesh and sweet taste, making it a favorite on sushi menus around the world.
        Tuna is one of the most valuable fish in the ocean due to its ubiquitous presence in sushi restaurants. Unfortunately, this has led to rampant overfishing. The World Wildlife Federation has added bluefin tuna to its list of endangered species over the past decade and has warned that tuna are at a critical juncture from being hunted to extinction.
        Ahi is another type of tuna that you are likely to find on a sushi menu. Ahi can refer to either yellowfin tuna or bigeye tuna, which have a similar texture and flavor. Ahi tuna is particularly popular in Hawaiian cuisine and is the tuna you most often see in poke bowls, the deconstructed tropical relative of sushi.
        Yellowfin and bigeye tuna are smaller than bluefin tuna, about 7 feet long and weighing about 450 pounds (WWF data). They are not endangered like bluefin tuna, so they are often caught in place of bluefin tuna during periods of scarcity.
        It is not uncommon to see ahi charring on the outside, while remaining raw inside. Yellowfin tuna is a firm, lean fish that cuts well into slices and cubes, while walleye is fatty and has a smooth texture. But no matter which version of ahi you choose, the flavor will be smooth and mild.
        Shiro maguro, better known as albacore tuna, has a pale color and a sweet and mild taste. You are probably most familiar with canned tuna. Albacore tuna is versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked. Albacore tuna is one of the smallest species of tuna, measuring around 4 feet long and weighing around 80 pounds (according to WWF).
        The meat is soft and creamy, perfect for eating raw, and its price makes it the most affordable tuna variety (from The Japanese Bar). As such, you’ll often find conveyor belt-style shiro in sushi restaurants.
        Its mild flavor also makes it very popular in the United States as an appetizer for sushi and sashimi. Albacore tuna is also more productive and less endangered than other tuna species, making it more attractive in terms of sustainability and value.
        In addition to the different types of tuna, it’s also important to be familiar with the different parts of the tuna. Just like cutting beef or pork, depending on where the meat is removed from the tuna, it can have vastly different textures and flavors.
        Akami is the leanest tuna fillet, the top half of the tuna. It has very little oily marbling and the flavor is still very mild but not overly fishy. It is firm and deep red, so when used in sushi rolls and sashimi, it is the most visually recognizable piece of tuna. According to Sushi Modern, akami has the most umami flavor, and because it’s lean, it’s also more chewy.
        When the tuna is butchered, the akami portion is the largest part of the fish, which is why you’ll find it included in many tuna sushi recipes. Its flavor also allows it to complement a wide range of vegetables, sauces and toppings, making it an ideal ingredient for a variety of rolls and sushi.
        Chutoro sushi is known as a medium fat piece of tuna (according to Taste Atlas). It is slightly marbled and slightly lighter than the rich akami ruby ​​tone. This incision is usually made from the stomach and lower back of the tuna.
        It’s the combination of tuna muscle and fatty meat in an affordable marble fillet that you can enjoy. Due to its higher fat content, it has a more delicate texture than akimaki and will taste slightly sweeter.
        The price of tutoro fluctuates between akami and the more expensive otoro, making it a very popular choice at a sushi restaurant. This is an exciting next step up from regular akami cuts and a great option for expanding the flavor of sushi and sashimi.
       However, Japancentric warns that this part may not be as readily available as other parts due to the limited amount of chutoro meat in regular tuna.
        The absolute cream of the crop in tuna nuggets is otoro. Otoro is found in the fatty belly of tuna, and this is the true value of the fish (from the Atlas of Flavors). The meat has a lot of marbling and is often served as sashimi or nagiri (a piece of fish on a bed of molded rice). Otoro is often fried for a very short time to soften the fat and make it more tender.
        Grand Toro tuna is known to melt in your mouth and is incredibly sweet. Otoro is best eaten in winter, when the tuna has extra fat, protecting it from the sea cold in winter. It is also the most expensive part of the tuna.
        Its popularity skyrocketed with the advent of refrigeration, as due to its high fat content, otoro meat can go bad before other cuts (according to Japancentric). Once refrigeration became commonplace, these delicious cuts became easier to store and quickly took the top spot on many sushi menus.
       Its popularity and limited seasonal availability means you’ll pay more for your otoro, but you may find the price is well worth the unique experience of authentic sushi cuisine.
        Wakaremi cutting is one of the rarest parts of tuna (according to Sushi University). Wakaremi is the part of the tuna located near the dorsal fin. This is chutoro, or medium-fat cut, which gives the fish umami and sweetness. You probably won’t find wakaremi on your local sushi restaurant’s menu, as it’s just a small portion of fish. The master of sushi often presents it as a gift to regular or privileged customers.
        If you find yourself receiving such a gift from a sushi kitchen, consider yourself a very lucky and valued patron of that restaurant. According to The Japanese Bar, wakaremi is not a dish that many American sushi restaurants are particularly famous for. Those who know it tend to keep it, because even large tuna provides very little of this meat. So if you get this very rare treat, don’t take it for granted.
        Negitoro is a delicious sushi roll that can be found in most restaurants. The ingredients are pretty simple: chopped tuna and green onions seasoned with soy sauce, dashi and mirin, then rolled with rice and nori (according to Japanese bars).
        The tuna meat used in negitoro is scraped off the bone. Negitoro rolls combine lean and fatty parts of tuna, giving them a rounded flavor. The green onions contrasted with the sweetness of the tuna and mirin, creating a nice blend of flavors.
        While the negitoro is usually seen as a bun, you can also find it in bowls of fish and bechamel served with rice to be eaten as a meal. However, this is not common, and most restaurants serve the negitoro as a roll.
        Hoho-niku – tuna cheek (from Sushi University). Considered the filet mignon of the tuna world, it has the perfect balance of marbling and delicious fat, and just enough muscle to give it a delicious chew.
        This piece of meat is right under the eye of the tuna, which means that each tuna has only a small amount of hoho niku. Hoho-niku can be eaten as sashimi or grilled. Because this cut is so rare, it can often cost more if you find it on a sushi menu.
        It is usually intended for connoisseurs and privileged visitors to sushi restaurants. It is considered one of the best cuts of whole tuna, so if you can find it, know that you are in for a real tuna experience that few get. Try the most valuable cuts!
        Even if you’re new to sushi, you probably know the names of some of the classics: California rolls, spider rolls, dragon rolls and, of course, spicy tuna rolls. The history of spicy tuna rolls began surprisingly recently. Los Angeles, not Tokyo, is home to spicy tuna rolls. A Japanese chef named Jin Nakayama paired tuna flakes with hot chili sauce to create what would become one of the most popular sushi staples.
        The spicy meat is often paired with grated cucumber, then rolled into a tight roll with seasoned sushi rice and nori paper, then sliced ​​and served artfully. The beauty of the Spicy Tuna Roll is its simplicity; one inventive chef found a way to take what was thought to be scrap meat and bring a whole new twist to Japanese-American cuisine at a time when Japanese-American cuisine isn’t famous for its abundance of spicy dishes.
        It’s worth noting that the spicy tuna roll is considered “Americanized” sushi and is not part of the traditional Japanese sushi line. So if you’re going to Japan, don’t be surprised if you don’t find this typical American delicacy on Japanese menus.
        Spicy Tuna Chips is another fun and delicious raw tuna dish. Similar to the tuna chili roll, it consists of finely chopped tuna, mayonnaise, and chili chips. Chili Crisp is a fun savory condiment that combines chili flakes, onion, garlic and chili oil. There are endless uses for chili chips, and they pair perfectly with the flavor of tuna.
        The dish is an interesting dance of textures: the layer of rice that serves as the base for the tuna is flattened into a disc and then quickly fried in oil to achieve a crispy crust on the outside. This is different from many sushi rolls, which usually have a softer texture. The tuna is served on a bed of crispy rice, and the cool, creamy avocado is sliced ​​or mashed for topping.
       The super-popular dish has appeared on menus across the country and has gone viral on TikTok as an easy homemade dish that will appeal to sushi newbies and seasoned foodies alike.
        Once you get the hang of the tuna, you’ll feel more confident browsing the sushi menu at your local restaurant. You are also not limited to the basic tuna roll. There are many different varieties of sushi rolls, and tuna is often one of the main proteins in sushi.
        For example, the fireworks roll is a sushi roll stuffed with tuna, cream cheese, jalapeno slices, and spicy mayonnaise. The tuna is again drizzled with hot chili sauce, then wrapped in seasoned sushi rice and nori paper with chilled cream cheese.
       Sometimes salmon or extra tuna is added to the top of the roll before it’s cut into bite-sized portions, and each piece is usually garnished with paper-thin jalapeno strips and a dash of spicy mayonnaise.
        Rainbow rolls stand out because they tend to use a variety of fish (usually tuna, salmon and crab) and colorful vegetables to create a colorful sushi art roll. The brightly colored caviar is often served with a brightly colored avocado for a crispy side dish on the outside.
        The last thing to keep in mind when you go on your sushi tour is that not everything labeled as tuna is actually tuna. Some restaurants try to pass off cheaper fish as tuna to keep costs down. While this is highly unethical, it can have other implications as well.
        Whitefin tuna is one such culprit. Albacore tuna is often referred to as “white tuna” because its meat is much lighter in color than other types of tuna. However, some restaurants substitute albacore tuna with a fish called escolar in these white tuna sushi rolls, sometimes calling it “super white tuna”. Albacore is pink compared to other light-colored meats, while escolar is a snowy pearly white. According to Global Seafoods, the escolar has another name: “Butter”.
        While many seafood contains oils, the oil in escola is known as wax esters, which the body cannot digest and tries to excrete. So if you end up eating too much escola, you could end up with a very nasty indigestion after a few hours as your body tries to get rid of the indigestible oil. So watch out for the self-styled tuna!