Somewhere on teh intarwebs Steve Pope wrote:
> ~misfit~ <sore_n_happy@yahoo-nospam.com.au> wrote:
>
>> Somewhere on teh intarwebs Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>> ~misfit~ <sore_n_happy@yahoo-nospam.com.au> wrote:
>
>>>> Somewhere on teh intarwebs Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>>>> (Tangentially: in Hawaii, they sell:
>>>>> normal-grade Ahi,
>
>>>> Longline caught (usually), pulled aboad dead on the hook, put into
>>>> ice slurry when landed.
>
>>>>> sushi-grade Ahi
>
>>>> Landed on the boat alive, bled out and put into an ice slurry
>>>> within minutes.
>
>>> Got a cite for this distinction?
>
>> Friends who work tuna boats and know tuna that's worth heading into
>> port with, rushing to the airport to send to Japan?
>
> I truly have had (in Hawaii) non-sushi-grade ahi and ono that seemed
> every bit as good as any sushi grade. But, landed that morning in
> most
> cases.

Hi Steve. Yeah, one guy reckons that often the fish that have died on the
hook might only be 5 minutes dead and not deteriorated at all. However the
Japanese fish brokers can spot a fish that hasn't been bled a mile off and
that's the main distinction. Subtle changes to the flesh in the presence of
blood in the time it takes to get from sea to plate. Also, being a 'warm
blooded' fish tuna, especially big ones, can take a while for the temp to
drop right down, even in an ice/salt slurry.

These same guys catch Southern Bluefin as well and just *one* of those,
caught alive, is worth heading straight back to port with. 20 to 35 grand
for one fish (as long as it's in the Japanese fish markets in under 24
hours). Crazy! I mean, thay are big fish and a little goes a long way but
still...

These guys don't go to sea without knowing when flights to Japan are
scheduled and fish around them as much a possible. They'll even use a
helicopter to get the fish from port to the airport if it means the
difference between this flight and the next one in 8 hours or more.
--
Shaun.

"Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's
warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchet, 'Jingo'.