Sustainable Sushi
Posted on October 25, 2008 by Charles Hamel in Japan | 10 Comments
sustainable sushi
Sustainable sushi
Recently three conservation groups have published some pamphlets with the subject of sustainable sushi. These are the first ever sustainable guides having to do with sushi. Mackerel is the in fish while octopus is so yesterday, according to the guides. And don’t even think of eating Blue Fin Tuna which has always been the king of sushi and one of my favorites might I add.
The guides list the types of fish in the English and Japanese names, and are categorized in sections that take into consideration the sustainability of the fish itself and the methods of catching them. This is the first time that the sushi industry has been targeted in a sustainability study.
sustainable_sushi
Sustainable Sushi Bridge
The guides debuted this week at San Francisco’s Tataki, billed as the only “sustainable sushi” eatery in the U.S. Hmmm.. Kind of sounds like a marketing ploy if you ask me, but I digress. One of the contributors of the pocket guides on Sustainable Sushi is sponsoring a weeklong “virtual sushi party” starting Oct. 22. Participants will be asked to take a pocket guide with them while ordering sushi, then log onto Facebook to compare notes.
If you are a frequent sushi eater here are some of the no-no’s according to the sustainable sushi guides. Monkfish (“ankoh”), Red Snapper (“tai”) and Freshwater Eel (“unagi”). Best choices include the U.S. farmed abalone (“awabi”), albacore tuna from the U.S. or Canada (“shiro maguro”) and farmed Arctic Char (“iwana”).
So there you have it, will it make an impact on your choices the next time you visit a sushi bar? I would like to hear your comments and input as to the viability of sustainable sushi. Until next time, take care all.
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10 Responses to “Sustainable Sushi”
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I truly hope that sustainable sushi becomes the mainstream among sushi diners in the world. Thank you for raising awareness in my home country to this imporatant movement. Your message to the world means a lot to me personally as I’m trying to do the same thing. Japanese diners are very picky when it comes to quality of food, but there are so many other choices. Let’s give blue fina tuna, eel and octopus a rest.
Thanks so much for your comments Sadao
This is an area where few people would associate sustainability. I agree, there are many different kinds of sushi, just choose yours smartly and with a conservationist mind.
Please stop by often..
Hello Charles – Konbanwa!
My dear departed Grandmother was from Hokkaido! I was at the release event where Hiroko Shimbo and others prepared sustaianble sushi and the Environmental Defense Fund, Seafood Watch and Blue Ocean folks shared their insights.
I hope you’ll join my sustainable seafood blog event. We have bloggers from around the world, top chefs and award winning food writers sharing recipes, photos and tips. I’ve included the Seafood Watch sushi advocate challenge, too. Kin Wai Lui the chef at our first sustainable sushi resto here is joining, too.
At least, I hope you’ll let your readers know.
Cheers,
Jacqueline Church
The Leather District Gourmet [dot] wordpress [dot] com
Seeing that beautiful picture reminds me that I am still confused when I go into Japanese restaurants that offer sushi, sashimi, as well as other starts and main meals. I feel as though I am piggish when I have a starter (like edamame, mmm), a sushi, a sashima and a main course. What is the standard protocol?
Domo arigato gozaimasu
Nice shot, wow thats something I have never seen… a bridge of sushi.
Jacqueline you have just let everyone know about your blog… I will take a trip over and check it out myself, while I encourage all readers to do the same.
Peter – Keep in mind that Sashimi is raw fish only sometimes lightly steamed… Sushi has rice added to it. Both are considered main courses.
Stussy thanks so much for your comments….. I see many different styles of preparation, to add to the aesthetics of the food itself.
Thank you all for your great comments
Stop by often
Charles thanks so much! I will put you on the rotation! Tell me what you think of my inarizushi…
Sushi is such an appealing delicacy. To think someone invented wasabi, marinated ginger slices and other sushi condiments is itself remarkable. As so many people are evolving toward environmental thinking, it is not surprising that sushi lovers may jump on the bandwagon and be willing to shift the contents of their beloved food.
That is really interesting I haven’t heard of that before but I think that it would be a good thing to serve fish that reproduce more than others. I think there needs to be more fisheries around the country.
Oh I want to try sushi but i don’t know which one would be good. When I have tried it they weren’t very good. I just think I have been picking the wrong kinds.