EAT HEALTHY SAVE THE TUNA SPARE THE GROUPER HAVE A KIND HEALTHY HEART AND SAVE THE PLANET
Among the ubiquitous proliferations, insulting to a Japanese sensibility to cuisine, has been the Restaurant Japonais, selling Sushi and Sashimi. These are usually run by cunning Chinese and Koreans who saw the decline of the Chinese Food among the Western Populations. In the USA at least, they don't call each and every Sushi joint, Restaurant Japonais but call it what it is, an American version of the Japanese food, Sushi, which in turn might have its origin in Inland China!
A few years ago, an intense interest rose among the Nutrition Science Community and the General Public when it was found that the Inuit who subsist on whale blubber and sea fish and no vegetables of note have some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world. Before long Omega 3 fatty acids took the centre stage and now you can buy them at any convenience store in America.
The simultaneous rise in popularity of Sushi joints may not have been a coincidence, as Americans, proud of their Meat diet (however contaminated it is with Growth Hormone, Antibiotics and other injected substances) found a way to include Fish in their diet in the form of Sushi.
All the while the Japanese were clobbering whales to death in large numbers and the Chinese and Koreans along with the Japanese were denuding the seas of fish like Tuna. Not just the Asians, the feeding grounds for once numerous Nassau Grouper was being overfished by fishermen based in the Bahamas and Belize
Conservation of the Nassau grouper a keystone species
Nassau Grouper (Ephinephelus striatus)
The Nassau Grouper is commercially extinct throughout much of its range. It has been red listed as an endangered species by the World Conservation Union, and is a protected species in US federal waters. In the Virgin Islands,Nassau grouper were reported in 1900 to be “..a common and very important food-fish, reaching a weight of 50 pounds or more.” The fish is now commercially extinct in those same areas. The Bahamas and Belize have the last significant stocks of Nassau grouper in the world; it is up to us to ensure that we continue to have these fish for our future.
Groupers are very slow growing fish, and some species of grouper live to be over 120 years old. They are an important component of healthy marine ecosystems. Groupers have the unfortunate habit of ‘grouping’ together in the thousands to reproduce. These groups are called spawning aggregations. Nassau groupers form “spawning aggregations” at predictable places during the full moons in the winter months.
Fishermen have long known about these aggregations and have targeted them- in the past with sailboats and hand lines, but now with traps, spears, big nets and satellite navigation equipment, many more fish can be caught. Many of the fish caught at aggregations have not yet had the chance to release their eggs. Some Bahamian aggregations that once had tens of thousands of fish now only have a few hundred, or have disappeared completely. The primary factor responsible for this drastic decline has been uncontrolled fishing when the fish are spawning. Failure to protect Nassaugrouper spawning aggregations in Bermuda resulted in a 95% decline in the population, and commercial extinction of local stocks. Many aggregations have been lost entirely, and there is strong evidence that once an aggregation has been fished out, it will not return.
American sushi is LARGER in general. The individual pieces are usually too big to eat in one bite, and the sushi rice is a little sweeter. In the same way that other cuisines are altered in the United States, more emphasis is put on the quantity of sushi and less on quality and eye appeal. The world-famous American sweet tooth is catered to with a sweeter rice dressing and meal proportions have expanded to rival meals available at other restaurants. The traditional Japanese reverence for good quality food in small portions has dissipated in America, with sushi bars deferring to the American-sized appetite and attraction to colorful food in big portions. The difference is unperceivable to the untrained diner, but an American and a Japanese sushi bar are two very different things.
Don't expect to find much of the following in an American Sushi joint..
Seafood
All seafoods in this list are served raw unless otherwise specified.
[edit]Finfish
The list below does not follow biological classification.
• Aji (鯵): Japanese jack mackerel, Trachurus japonicus
• Aya-kagara (赤矢柄): Cornetfish
• Anago (穴子): saltwater eel, Conger eel
• Ankimo (鮟肝): Monkfish liver
• Ayu (鮎): Sweetfish
• Buri (鰤): adult Yellowtail
• Hamachi (魬, はまち): young (35-60cm) Yellowtail
• Engawa (縁側): often referred as 'fluke fin', the chewy part of Fluke, a flatfish
• Gindara (銀鱈): Sablefish
• Hamo (鱧, はも): Daggertooth pike conger
• Hatahata (鰰): Sandfish[disambiguation needed]
• Hikari-mono (光り物): Blue-backed fish, various kinds of "shiny" (silvery scales) fish
• see also Aji, Iwashi, Konoshiro, Sanma, Tobiuo
• Hiramasa (平政, 平柾): Yellowtail amberjack (Seriola lalandi)
• Hirame (平目, 鮃): Fluke, a type of flounder
• Hoshigarei (干鰈): Spotted halibut
• Inada (鰍): very young Yellowtail
• Isaki (伊佐木, いさき): striped pigfish
• Ishigarei (石鰈): Stone flounder
• Iwashi (鰯): Sardine
• Kajiki (梶木, 舵木, 旗魚): Swordfish
• Makajiki (真梶木): Blue Marlin
• Mekajiki (目梶木): Swordfish
• Kanpachi (間八): Greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili
• Karei (鰈): Flatfish
• Katsuo (鰹, かつお): Skipjack tuna
• Kawahagi (皮剥ぎ): Filefish
• Kibinago (黍魚子): Banded Blue sprat
• Kisu (鱚): Sillago
• Konoshiro (鰶): Gizzard shad
• Kohada (小鰭): Japanese gizzard shad
• Shinko (新子): very young Gizzard shad
• Maguro (鮪): Thunnus (a genus of Tuna)
• Akami (赤身): top loin of Bluefin tuna
• Ōtoro (大とろ): fattiest portion of Bluefin tuna belly
• Toro (とろ): fatty Bluefin tuna belly
• Chūtoro (中とろ): medium-fat Bluefin Tuna belly
• Kihada (maguro) (木肌鮪, 黄肌鮪, きはだ): Yellowfin tuna
• Meji (maguro) (メジ鮪): young Pacific bluefin tuna
• Negi-toro (葱とろ): Bluefin tuna belly and chopped green onion
• Shiro maguro (白鮪), Binnaga/Bincho (鬢長): Albacore or "white tuna"
• Mamakari (飯借): Sprat
• Masu (鱒): Trout
• Mutsu (鯥): Bluefish
• Nijimasu (虹鱒): Rainbow trout
• Noresore: baby Anago
• Ohyou (大鮃): Halibut
• Okoze (虎魚): Stonefish
• Saba (鯖): Chub mackerel or Blue mackerel
• Sake, Shake (鮭): Salmon
• Sanma (秋刀魚): Pacific saury or Mackerel pike
• Sawara (鰆): Spanish mackerel
• Sayori (針魚, 鱵): Halfbeak (Springtime)
• Shima-aji (しま鯵): White trevally
• Shime-saba (締め鯖, 〆鯖): marinated Chub mackerel or Blue mackerel
• Shira-did (白魚): Salangid
• Shiromie (白身): seasonal "white meat" fish
• see also Hirame, Ishigarei, Karei, Shima-aji
• Suzuki (鱸): Sea bass
• Seigo (鮬): young (1-2 y.o.) Sea bass
• Tai (鯛): seabream snapper
• Madai (真鯛): Red seabream snapper
• Kasugo (春子鯛): young Sea bream
• Kurodai (黒鯛): Snapper
• Ibodai (疣鯛): Japanese butterfish
• Kimmedai (金目鯛): Splendid alfonsino
• Tara (鱈): Cod
• Tobiko (鰩, 飛魚): Flying fish
• Unagi (鰻): Freshwater eel, often broiled (grilled) with a sweet sauce
Then you have to think about the Mercury in the fish:
High Mercury
Ahi (yellowfin tuna)
Aji (horse mackerel)
Buri (adult yellowtail)
Hamachi (young yellowtail)
Inada (very young yellowtail)
Kanpachi (very young yellowtail)
Katsuo (bonito)
Kajiki (swordfish)
Maguro (bigeye, bluefin or yellowfin tuna)
Makjiki (blue marlin)
Meji (young bigeye, bluefin* or yellowfin tuna)
Saba (mackerel)
Sawara (spanish mackerel)
Shiro (albacore tuna)
Seigo (young sea bass)*
Suzuki (sea bass)*
Toro (bigeye, bluefin or yellowfin tuna)
LOWER MERCURY
Eat no more than six 6-oz servings per month
LOWEST MERCURY
Enjoy two 6-oz servings a week
Akagai (ark shell)
Anago (conger eel)
Aoyagi (round clam)
Awabi (abalone)
Ayu (sweetfish)
Ebi (shrimp)
Hamaguri (clam)
Hamo (pike conger; sea eel)
Hatahata (sandfish)
Himo (ark shell)
Hokkigai (surf clam)
Hotategai (scallop)
Ika (squid)
Ikura (salmon roe)
Kaibashira (shellfish)
Kani (crab)
Karei (flatfish)
Kohada (gizzard shad)
Masago (smelt egg)
Masu (trout)
Mirugai (surf clam)
Sake (salmon)
Sayori (halfbeak)
Shako (mantis shrimp)
Tai (sea bream)
Tairagai (razor-shell clam)
Tako (octopus)
Tobikko (flying fish egg)
Torigai (cockle)
Tsubugai (shellfish)
Unagi (freshwater eel)
Uni (sea urchin roe)
That brings us to the main point of this blog.
Not all fish are created equal when it comes to protecting your heart. Certainly Dark Fish, such as Salmon, mackerel and bluefish is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, when you compared to those of us, Japanese or otherwise who feasted on Tuna or white fish such as snapper and cod.
Grouper should not be eaten if you have any conscience about the future of Groupers in this planet. Viola, in one stroke you can save the Tuna, protect Grouper and save your own heart.
Eat Salmon, Americans, says your Heart Association. But how do we prepare it? Does it matter? Of course, Any FRIED FISH is more dangerous to your health than any other form of protein! Bake it or Broil it…but don't fry it..
So by eating Salmon or other dark fish and avoiding overfished species like Tuna or Grouper, in one good stroke, you can protect your HEART, schools of Fish who can be allowed to reach maturity, save the planet which needs a balance in such things, pay respect to Japanese culture by promising to avoid Sushi joints unless they are in Japan or owned by Japanese…
