Zama commits to the world's only sustainable bluefin tuna

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Zama commits to the world's only sustainable bluefin tuna

POSTED: Friday, April 30, 2010, 4:39 PM

Filed Under: Field Trip | Food and Politics

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The spicy tuna maki you eat for lunch today could be nothing more than a curious relic from the past in 20 years. Bluefin tuna, that unctuously marbled behemoth that makes such nice sushi, is on the verge of population collapse due to the tremendous overfishing its stocks have endured since new fishing and freezing techniques made it commercially viable in the 1960s. A recent global summit just rejected a proposal to ban the bluefin's international trade, but environmentalists are pushing to have it added to the endangered species list before it's too late. New York magazine quoted bluefin expert Sergi Tudela as saying, "Right now we still have a catch quota which is still almost twice the level needed to recover the stock." The stigma attached to serving the fish has well-known sushi palaces edging away from it; Nobu in New York took it off their menu two weeks ago, and Morimoto followed suit, says local chef Hiroyuki âZamaâ Tanaka. At his eponymous restaurant at 128 S. 19th Street, Tanaka serves the world's only 100 percent sustainable bluefin tuna, the Kindai bluefin. Lab-grown at Kinki University in Japan, the Kindai represents more than 70 years of research — the fish, which can grow to 700 pounds, is only on its second and third generation presently. "The taste is more delicate," says Zama. "And there are no flaws, like parasite holes. I can provide a high standard all the time." At a retail price of $5 per piece for sashimi, Kindai bluefin is almost double the price of wild bluefin, but Zama believes that will change. "It's new stuff, only on the second generation. When it's new, it's expensive, but the next five years will be a different story. When they first farm-raised salmon [and] striped bass, it was the same thing ... they are now standard and the price is steady." Zama received a monster Kindai bluefin from supplier Samuels & Son and butchered it for his restaurant. Check out the slideshow above.

chef@sptr

Posted 2010-04-30 17:53:21

thank you zama

PhD Positions at The Civil Engineering Department at Clemson … | Civil Engineering Addict

Posted 2010-05-01 03:08:29

[...] Zama commits to the world's only sustainable bluefin tuna :: Meal … [...]

Marie DiFeliciantonio

Posted 2010-05-01 15:48:53

serious knife skills.

Meal Ticket's 2010 in Pictures: April :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-12-31 14:48:55

[...] - Zama commits to the world’s only sustainable tuna [30apr10] [...]

Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 4:39 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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