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The big ticket drawcard at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is of course the fresh tuna auction (read about my experience of the frozen tuna auction here). This is where tens of thousands of dollars are spent on pristine specimens of bluefin, southern bluefin, bigeye and yellowfin tuna. Considering Japan is the world’s largest consumer of tuna, you can understand the fuss.

The auction commences at 5.30am, and by this stage the buyers/middlemen have been milling around the fish since 3am, checking muscle colour, texture, clarity and fat content. Ultimately the fish should have been longline caught (less struggle on the line) and immediately chilled on board the ship. It should be large in size with bright red flesh that is firm yet translucent with a visible fat content. The more exemplary the condition, the higher the grade and price.

The colour of the meat is one of the most important factors in determining quality. The ideal colour is bright red, though there are variations between species - bluefin will be darker while yellowfin is lighter. Either way, there should be a luster and translucency to the flesh, without cloudiness or a hint of rainbow, which is a result of a chemical reaction which can affect taste. Brown flesh can indicate a lower quality specimen, or one that been improperly handled and allowed to “age”. This is no longer suitable for sashimi.

Fat and oil content are also an indicator of quality. Fat appears as the white region just below the skin (think toro, or belly), which is usually checked on the tail cut or head cut. The thickness of the belly wall is also indicative of good fat distribution. It’s presence makes the meat appear a different colour; slightly white, orange or pink.

Soapbox: I guess one can not ignore the gross overfishing of tuna from our waters. Yes, Japanese demand is high, but world demand has also increased (think of every two-bit bad sushi joint in Melbourne alone). I don’t quite know how I sit with this ethical eating dilemma, especially when some species are considered critically endangered. One can coast only so long in ignorant bliss, huh?

Anyway, the big daddy of the tuna world is bluefin, the most prized of all specimens (and consequently, one of the most endangered). This is primo fish number 1 - the best tuna available on the day. Nary a nick or deformity on the skin, you can see the whiteness of the belly fat on the stomach incision, and the redness of the flesh in the tail cut.

Once the auction is complete, the fish are immediately removed to the middleman for processing. Extreme care must now be taken with the fish (especially since it has been paid for!). Hooks and leverage devices are used, this one requiring four men to heft number 1 onto a wooden trolley.

The middlemen are responsible for preparing the fish for wholesale/retail sale, and as you can see, a lot of care and skill (and many years of training) is required to know exactly where and how to cut.

The tuna are disassembled with knives called oroshi hocho (literally: “wholesale knife”), a meter-long sword designed for carving up the tuna. The blade is 150cm long and can fillet a big fish in a single cut, usually with three or four people working together to handle both the knife and the fish.

The madness that is the Tsukiji intermediate market is quite full on - the noise of bandsaws slicing up frozen tuna, the yelling of the stallholders as they bark directions at their apprentices, fish being dropped off / picked up / cut up and killed. There is water and blood and bone and flesh as far as the eye can see. To say the least, it is a little confronting. That being said, I was completely enthralled by the site before me. Never had I witnessed such order amidst chaos.

Many hands make light work of this big tuna.

Once the fish has been reduced down to its better parts, obvious care is taken in preparation and presentation - this too is an integral part of the sushi/sashimi process. Each cut is made only once with confidence and assurity, and the piece is carved symmetrically to assist the sushi chef in their art. The knife too is cleaned between each cut so as to not leave remnants of microscopic bits of flesh, which can oxidise and turn the fish brown and ruddy. It is amazing how much thought and preparation goes into one mouthful of food.

Written by mellie on January 16th, 2008 | Tags: Japan, Tsukiji | Category: Uncategorized |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL