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Tuna

Everything you ever wanted to know about tuna

Tuna

Everything you ever wanted to know about tuna

TYPES: Thunnus alalunga and Thunnus albacares

BEST CATCH: Different depending on the species, frozen in best quality available all year round

PREPARATION: Sashimi, sushi, fried or pickled

TYPE RELATED:Mackerel, Bonito, Sardine

RECIPE SUGGESTION: Tuna tatar or Poké Bowl

TASTE:

Because of its versatility, tuna is eaten and prepared in many cultures, be it raw, fried or pickled in oil. Raw tuna has a fresh, mild taste with subtle marine flavors and a delicate, soft texture. When shortly fried, the meat is firmer and crispy on the outside, but still pleasantly tender and juicy on the inside. The roasted aromas make the taste stronger and hearty and spicy.

Tuna is considered one of the fastest and largest predators in the sea. Over short distances, the spindle-shaped fish reaches speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Thanks to the so-called fins, of which, depending on the species, there are 5 to 12 pairs between the second dorsal and anal fins, turbulence is avoided and greater speed is achieved. Bone rings around the large eyes are also typical of tuna. Depending on the species, tunas can grow up to 5 meters long and weigh 600 kilograms, making them one of the largest sea fish.

Tunas live in all of the Earth's polar oceans and live both near the coast and at depths of up to 1000 meters. They live in large flocks and travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers per year. Particularly large and fast species can even reach daily distances of up to 160 kilometers. The constant movement means they have a high proportion of muscles, which also helps them with another phenomenon: temperature regulation. Tunas can conduct the resulting muscle heat into the interior of the body and thus maintain their temperature 5 to 10 degrees above normal. This allows them to hunt in both cold and warmer waters.

The color of tuna varies depending on the species and also depending on its physical state: While fresh tuna often has a dark red color, frozen tuna is significantly lighter with a slight pink color. As soon as the meat is exposed to oxygen for a long time, it turns brown, but this in no way reduces its quality. The color comes from myoglobin, a protein that stores and utilizes oxygen. Because of this phenomenon, frozen tuna also changes color when thawed. Tips on how to safely defrost tuna can be found in our defrosting guide

There are eight species of tuna, some of which are in greater and some less demand in the commercial fish trade. Unfortunately, the stocks are also seriously threatened as a result, as is the case with bluefin tuna, for example. In order to continue to enjoy tuna in the future, it is essential to use fish from regulated and certified fisheries.For our tuna, we pay particular attention to strict fishing regulations and regulated catch counts, so that you can enjoy with a clear conscience.

Tuna in detail

Hungry Eyes

A special feature of the predatory fish is the bone ring around the large eyes.

Hungry Eyes

A special feature of the predatory fish is the bone ring around the large eyes.

Fun fact:

Tunas breathe by swimming with their mouths open. The oxygen-rich air flows in and oxygen-poor air is released. However, this also means that tuna have to keep moving constantly to avoid suffocating.