Posted on: Friday, December 31, 2004
Customers pleased by 'ahi prices
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Melanie Tetsuya of Makakilo rang in 2004 by paying more than $30 a pound for bluefin tuna.
• Ask: Ask where the fish is from, what kind it is, when it came in. A lack of answers, or evasive answers, are not good signs. • Cut: You can buy pre-cut 'ahi if you're planning to serve it that day. Otherwise, buy an easy-to-slice pre-cut block. • Color: A desirable color in yellowfin tuna is a translucent soft red, like a ripe, fresh cherry; too bright a red can mean that aging tuna was treated with carbon monoxide to artificially induce fresh-looking color. The bloodline — the discolored strip that runs through the side of 'ahi — should be dark red, not brown (an indicator that the fish is old). • Fat: A pale, muted reddish pink indicative of a high oil content. Fattier fish are quickly identified by their high price. • Texture: Fish should feel firm, not squishy; shrink-wrapped blocks should spring back and not dimple when pressed with a finger. • Temperature: The fish should feel cold; transport in an ice chest with ice or a cold pack. • Scent: Fresh fish shouldn't smell "fishy." • Suji lines: Unless you're skilled at cutting sashimi, avoid blocks of 'ahi with lots of closely spaced suji lines (whitish lines of tendon running through the flesh); these are harder to cut. • Proper care: Wipe 'ahi block with paper towels, wrap in toweling and then plastic; store in refrigerator. • Slice: Freeze wrapped 'ahi block for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from freezer and slice with a sharp knife dipped in tap water every few slices. No word on the taste yet, but Tetsuya, like many other traditionalists around the island, discovered another reason to celebrate 2005 yesterday when she went shopping for the top-of-the-line bluefin tuna at Marukai Wholesale Mart. Tuna prices had dropped to $25.99 a pound.
"This has to be the only thing that's gone down in price from last year to this year," Tetsuya said.
Today and tomorrow, uncountable pounds of raw tuna —mostly buttery-textured yellowfin caught by local fishermen — will be served at traditional family parties around the Islands, from the rare bluefin to less-favored tombo 'ahi (albacore), often used in poke preparations.
At Tamashiro Market, Justin Kama of Kalihi was stocking up on four kinds of poke.
"We goin' party my father's house," he said. "Used to be, my uncle, the fisherman, would make the poke, but he passed away. Get plenny more kinds poke now than before. I like the spicy one."
And how did he feel about paying $7.95 to $10.95 for it? He shrugged. "Gotta have 'em."
Yesterday, just as fish sellers had predicted earlier in the week, abundant supplies kept prices stable, with most medium- to high-grade 'ahi selling for less than $20 a pound.
The United Fishing Agency auction had its fourth consecutive 100,000-pound day yesterday, manager Brooks Takenaka said. Normally the auction sells 60,000 to 80,000 fish a day.
A morning spent pricing 'ahi around Honolulu revealed a range of prices, quality and types:
• 'Ahi loin: Loins are large triangular chunks and often offer the best pricing for the highest quality and the longest shelf-life. But you have to know how to cut the sashimi. Prices ranged from $9.49 a pound for bright red, U.S.-caught, ungraded loin cuts at Costco to $29.95 for toro (cherry red, high fat, belly cut) loins at Tamashiro Market.
Both Marukai and Tamashiro offered loin cuts in a wide range, from as low as $8.95 for good grade at Tamashiro, $11.99 a pound for No. 2 grade at Marukai and on up in stair steps of a $1 or $2 a pound all the way to just under $30 a pound.
• 'Ahi blocks: 'Ahi blocks (pre-cut rectangles of loin), favored for their ease of cutting and longer shelf life, showed the widest range in price, from $11.99 for pre-packaged No. 3 grade fish at Times in Kaimuki to $22.99 for fresh-cut No. 1 grade blocks at the service counter at Foodland Market City. • Sliced sashimi: Pre-sliced sashimi is available in trays in some supermarkets for those who don't care to cut their own. The best deal we found was, predictably, at Costco, where platters of medium-red sliced 'ahi sell for $9.99 a pound. (Mixed platters of 'ahi, salmon and au are $8.99 a pound). • 'Ahi poke: Most supermarket poke, whether shoyu-style or limu-style, was selling for $4.99 and $5.49 a pound yesterday. But in poke, too, there was a range in quality as well as price. Gorgeous garnet-colored fresh poke was $9.99 a pound at Foodland Market City. Cheaper poke may be made from imported and/or previously frozen fish, and from lower grades of fish with a less silky texture and more suji lines (tough tendons).
This is fine for the more spicy and highly flavored styles but connoisseurs prefer high-quality fish for very plain poke recipes.
"I had sticker shock," she said, "but it was the best sashimi I ever had."
A sashimi buying guide
