Aburasokomutsu – escolar (walu walu)

Aburasokomutsu – Escolar (Walu Walu)

Source: Wild Mercury Risk: High Call it escolar, butterfish, walu, super white tuna, aburasokomutsu, or whatever you’d like – by any name, this medium-sized ocean fish poses a confounding set of challenges and is problematic at best.  In fact, the commercial sale of escolar is banned in Japan and Italy.  There’s a good reason for that. Why is…

Unagi sushi recipe (faux-nagi sablefish vs eel)

Unagi Sushi Recipe (Faux-Nagi Sablefish vs Eel)

This unagi sushi recipe uses sustainable sablefish (or gindara, in Japanese) in place of traditional and unsustainable freshwater eel. So perhaps faux-nagi is better term for it! If you love unagi, this sablefish sushi recipe will be a close cousin that you’ll feel a lot better about eating, when considering the sustainability issues of fishing…

Katsuo – skipjack tuna

Katsuo – Skipjack Tuna

Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low Katsuo is one of those Japanese menu terms that can get the average American sushi lover into a bit of trouble. The word corresponds to two different fish: skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis; notice the similarity to katsuo) and bonito (Sarda spp.), a tuna relative in a different and distinct genus. The precise term for…

Kanikama (or surimi): imitation crab from pollock fish

Kanikama (or Surimi): Imitation Crab From Pollock Fish

What is kanikama sushi? Kanikama is known as “imitation crab” in English, but is made from surimi, which is usually a fish like Alaskan Pollock. Kanikama is used in many types of sushi, especially maki, or rolls. The most common example is the California roll, which generally contains imitation crab and avocado. A fish processor creates…

Saba – mackerel

Saba – Mackerel

Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low Atlantic mackerel, or saba, is a schooling fish found throughout much of the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the three types of mackerel most commonly found in sushi bars (the others are aji and sawara.) Of the three, saba is the most widely encountered option. Mackerel does not keep well, and if it is not consumed…

Kanpachi – amberjack

Kanpachi – Amberjack

Source: Farmed, some wild Mercury Risk: Unknown In the original edition of Sustainable Sushi, there is only one chapter on amberjack.  Given the growth of the industry and the differences in species, farming techniques, and management protocols, I’ve decided to address these fish on a more individual basis.  So, I’ve split the original chapter into three pages…

Shiro maguro – albacore tuna

Shiro Maguro – Albacore Tuna

Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Moderate Albacore tuna, or shiro maguro, is one of the smallest members of the tuna family.  It occurs in temperate and tropical zones throughout the world’s oceans, and is commonly found in many North American sushi establishments.  Common issues faced by albacore fisheries include high bycatch levels and depleted stock status.  Some…