Bluefin tuna is the species that you may have heard of selling for thousands of dollars per fish, with the buyers often as not being Japanese. Living in the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific and other seas worldwide. bluefin tunas weigh hundreds of pounds--the record being 1496 pounds. Its size and swimming speed (among the fastest in the ocean, able to dart about at over 40 miles per hour) puts it at the top of the ocean food chain. Its size also explains its desirability to man as a food fish. It's a little too desirable, frankly, resulting in its being overfished. It's hard to eat bluefin tuna with a clear conscience. If the impact on the species doesn't bother you, then perhaps the high concentrations of mercury in tuna may give you pause. If not, you'll find bluefin tuna flesh amazing to behold. In its best parts, it shows no flake structure at all. It's solid meat, with an amazing silky texture. It's deep maroon in color, with a beautiful bright highlight. The flavor is vivid and wonderful. If you're going to eat bluefin, the only way to go is sashimi. No rice, no searing, none of that. Raw, all by itself. It's is better and much more expensive than standard yellowfin ("ahi") tuna. This is part of our annual Seafood Survey, a daily series appearing through the 33 weekdays of Lent. This year's theme: exotic and rare fish and shellfish.
