if you haven't heard the bluefin tuna is one of the most expensive fish in the world
and in this episode we're gonna find out just how expensive this fantastic fish is
we should probably start off by describing the bluefin tuna it is a huge speedy and
absolutely beautiful specimen that can grow as big as a polar bear and
travel at speeds of up to 44 miles per hour or 70 kilometers per hour
after then the gray white shark or the Orca bluefin tuna can live for up to 40 years and
can reach lengths of 2 meters and weigh as much as 400 pounds these partially warm-blooded fish can
regulate their own temperature which gives them the ability to travel further than most other fish
you shouldn't mistake this species for regular tuna which retails at about a dollar per ton This
Magnificent species can sell for up to a whopping 1.8 million US dollars for a 489 pound fish
in fact it was one such fish that sold for that amount in 2013. well in 2019 that record
was absolutely demolished when a 612 pound or 278 kilogram bluefin tuna shattered all Expectations
by being sold for an amazing 3 million US dollars at an auction in the Tokyo Fish Market
a single piece of bluefin tunic can cost from 80 to 200 per pound so why is it so expensive
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like we've said before it's important to differentiate regular Tuna from Bluefish
tuna regular tuna comes from albacore and are regular Growers that can be hunted by the boatload
bluefin tuna on the other hand is the only type of tuna in the world that can grow up to 400 pounds
this exclusivity is part of the appeal but the
major reason why bluefin tuna is so prized is its Exquisite taste
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referred to as the wagyu of the sea Choice pieces of bluefin tuna will literally transport you to
Realms of mouth-watering pleasure with its blend of balanced flavors when aged properly
some of the best bluefin tuna in the world comes from Japan for example
Oma bluefin tuna will cost you about 450 dollars per kilogram but with Transportation costs you'll
be lucky to find it at a supermarket for four hundred dollars per pound
the best deal your best choice would be to attend high-end auctions in Japan
the quality of the fish in these markets are tightly regulated by the Japanese government so
you can rest assured that the quality is fantastic and the fishermen will get their Fair pay
if you aren't as rich as Jeff Bezos you may want to avoid the first auction of
the year in Japan during this auction fish gets sold at outrageous prices either as
symbolic gestures or publicity stunts Japanese tradition holds that the first thing you do in
the new year will set a tone for the rest of the year so I guess wealthy people who
wish to start a lucky new year would grab their checkbooks and set records for overpriced fish
this is why you'll hear about 489 Pound Fish selling for 1.8 million
dollars in 2013 and the first fish of 2018 selling for an amazing 323 thousand dollars
there are four main categories of bluefin tuna meat kametoro Otoro
chutoro and Akamai kamaturo is probably the best part of the tuna meat that people like
if you've ever had bluefin tuna recommended to you chances are with kamaturo
while some people may like it I find it quite overrated because of the fat content and texture
next is Otoro it is the fattiest part of the tuna outside the head
in color area it's almost as rare as the kametoro and is usually the costliest
its price can range from 10 to 80 US dollars depending
on where the fish was raised or harvested
it has marbling of fat and meat just like Kobe beef
the next part is the tutoro which is getting around toward the side of the tuna and it's
a nice mixture of red meat and fat it's best if you prefer something less obviously fatty
than either the Otoro or the kamaturo portions you won't find any marbling of fat in tutoro
and then the fourth part is Akamai which literally means red meat in
Japanese it's the leanest part of the bluefin tuna it is found close to the
spike and is the most common and cheapest part of the fish
Akamai has a lot of umami and sanmi flavor it's still quite tasty though
however all is not going well
as we release more CO2 our oceans are becoming warmer and more acidic putting dwindling fish
stocks under even greater pressure for survival although we humans love the wild Bluefin because
of its milder taste and cleaner flavor we have to understand that climate change and
overfishing has driven this delicious fish close to extinction and even more ridiculous prices
maybe we have to stop or we have to reduce the eating the amount of the tuna the future
the bluefin tuna is not so bright an individual fish can sell for ten thousand dollars or more
nobody can buy this however this huge amount of money promoting illegal fishing and overfishing
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