Tuna!

[JPierson]

I went to the tunafest at Mitsuwa in New Jersey today. What fun! The tuna was as big around as a slimmed down SantaClaus- it was `only` 450 lbs. Tuna grow as large as 1500. The tuna was not frozen, as coming photos will attest. It was caught and killed in Spain, and air-shipped here. I have never seen such a beautiful fish. I bought a piece that was close to the bone- so tender that the fishmonger scooped it away from the skeleton with a spoon. I should have pictures in a few days, and I`ll try to get them on disk, or at least scanned.

[JPierson]

particular tuna was ushered into a Spanish lagoon, fed and fattened, and then `harvested`. I was caught and it`s throat was cut, bleeding the fish out. Cheaper tuna is killed in a variety of ways, like being hit in the head. Also, tuna (and other fish caught in nets) get bruised during the netting frenzy, and even more when they are dropped on the deck. All of this brings down the fish quality and price. Tuna can be found off the LI Sound during the summer- but the trip halfway around the world makes for a very lean fish that`s not at the peak of flavor. At this time of year they are fattening up and migrating. During migration they don`t eat. This fish was fatty and luscious.
I now understand why good quality tuna and other sushi species are so expensive when they are at their best. Everything from feeding, catching, killing and handling makes a difference. It was a very humbling and beautiful experience to be near this large fish, and to see the care that was taken in cutting and slicing it. While there`s no doubt that the distributors are turning a profit, I can see why a single piece of sushi can cost so much.
They will be cutting tuna tomorrow also, and other seafood items are on sale, too. There`s a shuttle bus from Port Authority that leaves from platform 51; it costs $2 one way.

[Tyreal]

Sounds like a very cool experience, I wish I could have been there. As a chef, I`ve taken and encouraged "outings" with my cooks to see where emus get slaughtered, etc, just because I think we all should know about this (that was an "out there" example, but I`m sure you know what I mean) and where our food comes from. But it seems like the tuna experience seems more majestic, like being on a deer hunt and field-trim would be like, maybe.
As meat-eaters, I think we SHOULD be able to see where our food comes from, and if we can`t deal with it, we shouldn`t be eating flesh. So I always want to experience it and encourage others to do the same. I really wish I could have been there. I don`t want to say anything as cheesy as "to see the wonderful creature that gave its life for us" since that`s complete bullshit, but to see a huge, beautiful tuna, and then to be able to eat the best cut, would be almost a religious experience. Especially since most of my "religion" comes from the ecstasy of enjoyment of food and drink.

[rcvictorino]

Sicily, I heartily recommend:
Mattanza: The Ancient Sicilian Ritual of Bluefin Tuna Fishing by Theresa Maggio
ISBN: 0141001607 Author: Maggio, Theresa Publisher: Penguin Books
More About this Book
Publisher Comments: In 1986, love drew Theresa Maggio to Favignana, an island just off the coast of Sicily. There the young journalist encountered the mysterious world of the tonnara-the ritual trapping and killing of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea-and the mattanza, the stunning, bloody climax of the fishing season when the huge fish are wrestled from the sea and killed. Mattanza is the riveting story of Maggio`s annual return to witness this timeless struggle between man and the sea. An alluring blend of memoir, history, and travelogue, Mattanza documents an insular and exotic world where the tonnara continues according to ancient ritual even as modern fishing methods edge it towards extinction.
Review: Riveting . . . beautifully and compassionately documents an arcane way of life and death. (The New York Times)
Review: Brave and imaginative. (The Washington Post)
Review: "Maggio`s riveting and thorough account of a dying practice?not only beautifully and compassionately documents an arcane way of life and death but gives us an intimate and detailed portrait of her own experiences as an American woman on a small island steeped in custom and tradition." New York Times Book Review, 08/20/2000*