What is Maguro? – the answer is pretty easy actually – it is the Japanese word for Tuna (ma –goo- rhoh) – highly sought after and in the world of sashimi it is served in 3 main grades. But before we get into the meaty bits lets go on a quick journey and have a look at some great Bluefin Maguro Sashimi in Osaka, Japan.

This epic tuna tale (or tail) starts with a good friend of mine visiting me in Osaka for a slice of the raw fish action.

For those of you who have never heard the name Andy Fischtrom before – you really are not missing much, unless of course you are a fan of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies in which he made a short appearance – but anyway enough rambling – lets get into the good stuff – the sashimi.

tuna sashimi, tuna sashimi recipeJust behind Kyobashi Station in Osaka Japan there is a standing bar known to many of the locals as Maguro. It is run by an old man whose focus is on one thing and one thing only – serving some of the best Bluefin maguro sashimi ever.

The place pumps – and with good reason, there are no chairs, you sometimes share tables and you get your own beers from a huge ice box out the front.

Tuna served in restaurants is generally one of two different species, the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), traditionally known as ‘maguro,’ which is usually fairly lean, and the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), known as ‘ahi’ (ah-hee), which is a fattier species. Yellowfin tuna may also be labeled ‘maguro‘ but more often than not, if you see maguro it will be bluefin tuna. Tuna sushi is further broken up into subtypes, based on the fat content.

Akami (ah-kah-me) is the leaner meat from the sides of the fish. If you ask for ‘maguro’ at a restaurant, or order any kind of tuna roll or sushi without requesting ‘toro,’ you will get this cut.

Toro (toh-roh) is the term for the fatty part of the tuna, found in the belly portion of the fish. Toro is further broken up into two distinct subtypes, and they are more expensive due to their relative scarcity as a proportion of the entire fish. The two types of toro are:

Chutoro (choo-toh-roh), which is sometimes labeled chu-toro, is the belly area of the tuna along the side of the fish between the akami and the otoro. It is often preferred because it is fatty but not as fatty as otoro.

Otoro (oh-toh-roh), which is sometimes labeled o-toro, is the fattiest portion of the tuna, found on the very underside of the fish. This cut is fatty almost to the point of falling apart and can literally melt in your mouth.

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