~misfit~ <sore_n_happy@yahoo-nospam.com.au> wrote:

>Somewhere on teh intarwebs Steve Pope wrote:

>> 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.

Right.

Of course I no longer eat bluefin, as it is now on the banned list.

As for sushi grade... in California a lot of sushi grade tuna
has passed through Japan, and the fish markets and sushi restaurants
here keep it wrapped up in plastic wrap possibly for days. It may
have desirable qualities that make it subjectively different,
and for some eaters better, than non-sushi-grade tuna but it
is almost always not as totally fresh as you would want it.

But for non-tuna, non-mackerel species I still buy sushi-grade.

Steve