Pieces of raw red tuna cut for sashimi on a white plate, with lemon and wasabi behind

Guide

How to choose sushi-grade tuna

Sushi-grade isn't a grade anyone regulates. It's a promise about handling. Here's what to ask for, so the promise means something.

What the words mean

Sushi-grade, sashimi-grade and raw-service all mean the same thing: the fish was handled for eating raw from the moment it was caught. That means bled and chilled fast on the boat, kept at 0 to 2 degrees since, and, for many species, frozen to a set temperature long enough to kill parasites.

Ask three questions: how was it caught and chilled, has it been frozen and to what temperature, and when was it landed. A supplier who can't answer isn't selling sushi-grade fish.

A single piece of tuna nigiri and pickled ginger on a slate board at a sushi counter — Tuna nigiri at the counter.

Yellowfin or bluefin

Yellowfin compared with bluefin
	Yellowfin	Bluefin
Colour	Bright pink to red	Rich red, with pale fatty belly
Taste	Lean, mild, firm	Rich and buttery
Best cuts	Loin for sashimi and seared steaks	Akami (lean), chutoro (medium fat), otoro (fatty belly)
Price	Everyday raw service	Premium, by the cut

A bluefin tuna swimming in deep blue water — Bluefin tuna in open water.

Handling it in your kitchen

Keep the loin in its vacuum pack at 0 to 2 degrees until you cut it
Cut on a clean board kept for raw fish only
Slice against the grain, with one long pull of the knife
Serve the same day you open the pack
Keep the catch date and the supplier record with the invoice

See the specialty seafood range for the tuna we source.

Send an enquiry

Tell us what you need and when. We reply with what's available, the price and the delivery date.