Source: Wild, some farmed Mercury Risk: Unknown Lamentably, it’s not easy to find shimaaji in the United States. The sweet delicate flesh of the white trevally, usually labeled on menus as “striped jack,” is often described as a cross between aji and hamachi—a truly succulent combination. If you haven’t tried it, it’s something to experience. But to try it, first you…
Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Unknown Sayori, the Japanese halfbeak, or needlefish, is one of the oddest animals ever to grace the sushi counter. With their long slender bodies and what is perhaps the most pronounced underbite in the animal kingdom, this fish looks more like a writing implement than a food source. Even so, the halfbeak…
What is mercury, why is it in my food, and why should I care? Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in our environment, generally in a sequestered or inert state. Over the last century, however, industrial pollution from power plants, waste incinerators, and mining operations have contributed to a pronounced increase in our…
Source: Wild Mercury Risk: Low Masago is the processed roe (eggs) of the capelin, a small fish that exists in vast quantities throughout the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is generally orange-red in color and is often used as a garnish or to top pieces of nigiri. It should not be confused with tobiko, the roe of the…
The rich buttery flavor and smooth texture of amberjack has achieved real popularity with American sushi fans. Be warned, however — to get to the bottom of what hamachi sushi is, one must first establish what exactly is being served. That is not easy. First off, there are four species of amberjack that are found at the…
So you may be wondering what are PCBs? And are they in my seafood dinner tonight? Polychlorinated biphenyls, or simply PCBs, are man-made compounds that were intended to make our lives easier, but are beginning to have the opposite effect. PCBs are generally used in a number of industrial applications, such as for coolants and…
Omega-3s, aka omega-3 fatty acids, are a group of unsaturated fatty acids essential to human development. They are found in numerous foods, including certain fish. Oily cold-water fish, like sardines, wild salmon, and mackerel, have high levels of omega-3s. In fact, a great deal of advertising capital has been expended on omega-3 awareness in recent…
At the sushi bar, “crab sushi” is a category rather than a single animal. Depending on how and where you order kani sushi, you may receive Dungeness crab, king crab, snow crab, stone crab, blue crab, or even kanikama or surimi, which isn’t really crab at all. To make matters even more confusing, the crab may…
Source: Farmed Mercury Risk: Low Freshwater eel, known as unagi, is one of the most popular items in the American sushi industry. It is generally grilled and served with a dark kabeyaki sauce. Unfortunately, our consumption of eel is a tremendous problem from an environmental standpoint. Wild eel populations around the world are in severe…
Horse Mackerel Source: WildMercury Risk: Low Aji, also known as horse mackerel or saurel, is one of the three types of mackerel commonly available in sushi bars, the others being saba and sawara. The term aji refers to any member of the horse mackerel family. When aji is ordered in a U.S. sushi bar, what often arrives at the table is a tasty…
