In August, we went to see a whole bluefin tuna cutting demonstration at “Hanshin Department Store Nishinomiya”. It was really interesting, so we wanted to share what it was like.
At “Hanshin Nishinomiya,” they hold a big bargain festival called Ebisu Market on the 10th and 29th of every month.
They even have sushi assortments with ridiculously huge toppings. You should definitely keep an eye on Hanshin Department Store’s sushi assortments.
So, during this Ebisu Market, they also sometimes hold a “tuna cutting sale.”
The tuna’s open mouth looked kind of like an alien.
The tail section.
Also, tuna fins are yellow. Who knew?
Apparently, tuna eyeballs are delicious when simmered.
The first cut into the tuna. They remove the head.
This tuna weighed 45 kilograms.
A scene that felt like “Got ittt!”
The kid’s completely stunned expression was priceless.
The tuna head was 1,080 yen! They said it’s “recommended for barbecues.”
After the head was cut off. The flesh was revealed, and yep, that’s definitely tuna.
Next up was a part called kama. You can only get two pieces from one tuna.
Right next to the kama is the otoro section. That’s why it’s so fatty, apparently, and it was being sold for 1,080 yen.
Now they’re going to break it down into five sections.
This is after they cut out the otoro and chutoro sections.
The tuna after being broken down. It’s packed with meat, isn’t it? Couldn’t you just munch on it like watermelon?
Every time a section was cut, applause and cheers broke out. This part is chutoro and lean tuna.
A bit of trivia: when tuna is extremely fresh, it apparently looks red, and if you leave it in the fridge for a day, it turns white.
The part they’re scraping off here is called nakaochi.
Nakaochi is lean meat, but since it’s right by the bone, it has a rich flavor.
It had already become this small.
Finally, they cut the chutoro and otoro into nice shapes.
Absolutely beautiful tuna. They said you don’t often find this kind of quality in regular stores.
The freshly cut pieces were selling like crazy.
The prices were incredibly low for the quality, so they disappeared in an instant. This is what “first come, first served” really means.
What a beautiful cross-section! This is “kama-toro,” the most expensive part of the tuna. Since it’s very fatty, it’s apparently delicious when lightly seared in a frying pan and eaten with ponzu.
Aaaah. Looks so good.Apparently, good tuna even smells different.
Oh, right!
The tuna head sold too!
A family who also reads Nishitsu got it!
And they properly prepared it for them, but…
The head ended up looking like this.
O-oh.
But apparently, the head meat and cheek meat are delicious when seared and served with ponzu. Big smiles!
In Closing
The next tuna cutting demonstration will be held on Saturday, October 14 at 11:00. Please do come check it out. And try getting the head too!
