SushiFilter: What IS this stuff & how can I be sure to not get it again?
May 2, 2013 4:24 PM Subscribe
We eat a lot of sushi, but I am no expert. We just order whatever sounds good from the description on the menu. Usually I like what I get, occasionally I get something that's just meh, but every once in a while I wind up with a roll that has this big blob of ground fish on top of it. Fish hamburger, if you will.
Nowhere in the description does it ever say "ground fish." Is there any way to know what rolls are going to have this stuff on it? I find it rather revolting and can never manage to choke down more than a piece or two.
Nowhere in the description does it ever say "ground fish." Is there any way to know what rolls are going to have this stuff on it? I find it rather revolting and can never manage to choke down more than a piece or two.
it sounds like a tuna mayo sushi... is it also one of the cheaper dishes?
posted by cendawanita at 4:27 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by cendawanita at 4:27 PM on May 2, 2013
Best answer: The tuna in a spicy tuna roll usually comes diced. I've always felt like this was more of an Asian fusion thing than an authentic sushi.
When in doubt, you can always ask!
posted by segfault at 4:31 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
When in doubt, you can always ask!
posted by segfault at 4:31 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
the top row of hits is what I envisioned from your description. These would be the tuna mayo sushi. it's a popular low-tier selection in a lot of budget kaiten.
posted by cendawanita at 4:34 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by cendawanita at 4:34 PM on May 2, 2013
Response by poster: RustyBrooks: Nope, I know what the various fish eggs are. This is honest-to-god raw fish hamburger. It's pink and slimy and usually a big blog topping each piece of the roll that has it.
cendawanita: not usually one of the cheaper rolls, no. Usually a special roll. One of the ones I know to avoid at my favorite local place is the Volcano roll, which is $11. The special rolls range in price from $8 to $15.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:35 PM on May 2, 2013
cendawanita: not usually one of the cheaper rolls, no. Usually a special roll. One of the ones I know to avoid at my favorite local place is the Volcano roll, which is $11. The special rolls range in price from $8 to $15.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:35 PM on May 2, 2013
Maybe tuna tataki? It USUALLY means seared tuna (all the English Google image results are for that), but there was one particular place I'd go to in Japan where I would order it and get exactly what you describe and then I'd forget and do it again every time god damn it. I just looked up "tataki" and mincemeat and seared tuna are apparently two definitions of the same word. This has never happened to me in the U.S., though, so I don't know if that's it, but it sounds exactly like what you're describing. I can't find a picture of the roll, but it's the stuff on the top here.
posted by sunset in snow country at 4:36 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by sunset in snow country at 4:36 PM on May 2, 2013
Best answer: Yeah, "spicy tuna" is trimmings that are chopped. But I've seen them chopped so finely before that they basically become mush. That's probably your culprit.
posted by zug at 4:36 PM on May 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by zug at 4:36 PM on May 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: The tuna mayo doesn't look quite like what I"m describing. This looks more like it.
And I see it is described as spicy tuna, so... that might be my clue.
Do they do this to other types of raw fish or just tuna?
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:42 PM on May 2, 2013
And I see it is described as spicy tuna, so... that might be my clue.
Do they do this to other types of raw fish or just tuna?
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:42 PM on May 2, 2013
Response by poster: Not tuna tataki... I used to get that all the time and I love it.
Zug's tuna "mush" is an apt description.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:44 PM on May 2, 2013
Zug's tuna "mush" is an apt description.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:44 PM on May 2, 2013
Every time I've gotten something like that, it's been spicy tuna. There was one place that did a minced scallop salad, but that would have been white and definitely different-tasting. Source: I have eaten a lot of sushi of varying quality (Uchi to homemade to grocery store) in my day.
posted by fiercecupcake at 4:53 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by fiercecupcake at 4:53 PM on May 2, 2013
As others mentioned, spicy tuna is trimmings that have been chopped up. Despite the name it often includes trimmings of other, cheaper fish. I learned this from a friend who is allergic to one of the non-tuna fishes that is commonly used after he went into anaphylactic shock at a sushi lunch.
posted by joan_holloway at 4:58 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by joan_holloway at 4:58 PM on May 2, 2013
Look up "tuna scrape". Better places will not use this in their tuna rolls, spicy or not. Some scrape also had a contamination problem recently, iirc.
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:36 PM on May 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:36 PM on May 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yep, spicy tuna is the likely culprit...at my old job, the cafeteria had this stand where two guys made the rolls in front of you... and they had this big vat of pink mush that they grabbed from to make the spicy tuna rolls... and I still ate it! (though all this talk about trimmings is making me question ever ordering such rolls again...)
posted by pravit at 5:46 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by pravit at 5:46 PM on May 2, 2013
Sounds like tuna is the culprit but I figured I'd mention surimi.
posted by XMLicious at 5:55 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 5:55 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've always felt like this was more of an Asian fusion thing than an authentic sushi.
Tuna tataki is absolutely authentic sushi in Japan. Although, it is generally not seasoned to be spicy - in fact, I do not think I have ever seen spicy tuna in Japan. (most of what is on American sushi menus is unknown in Japan - bagel roll? firecracker roll?). Usually, it features green onions and is called negi toro. OP, that link is a Google Images search for tuna tataki. Please advise if that looks like what you mean. I am pretty confident this is what you are describing. I happen to like it, FWIW. And yes, it is done with other fish as well, such as salmon.
The conveyor belt sushi places in Japan now often advertize that they are 無添え ("no additives"). The major reason for that is because some years ago it came out that some shops were making toro by adding fat to tuna tataki. (toro is fatty tuna and hence more desirable and costly)
posted by Tanizaki at 6:02 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Tuna tataki is absolutely authentic sushi in Japan. Although, it is generally not seasoned to be spicy - in fact, I do not think I have ever seen spicy tuna in Japan. (most of what is on American sushi menus is unknown in Japan - bagel roll? firecracker roll?). Usually, it features green onions and is called negi toro. OP, that link is a Google Images search for tuna tataki. Please advise if that looks like what you mean. I am pretty confident this is what you are describing. I happen to like it, FWIW. And yes, it is done with other fish as well, such as salmon.
The conveyor belt sushi places in Japan now often advertize that they are 無添え ("no additives"). The major reason for that is because some years ago it came out that some shops were making toro by adding fat to tuna tataki. (toro is fatty tuna and hence more desirable and costly)
posted by Tanizaki at 6:02 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
It could also be negitoro (minced tuna with green onions). It's a bit less common in North America, but some places do have negitoro rolls or negitoro-don (minced tuna with green onions on a bowl of rice). Anyway, another word to watch out for in the menus.
Also, it's totally delicious when it's done well!
posted by snorkmaiden at 6:23 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, it's totally delicious when it's done well!
posted by snorkmaiden at 6:23 PM on May 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Spicy tuna was my favourite roll and looks like what you described....I've seen spicy salmon roll looking almost the same but of course pinker. Now I'm not sure if I can ever have either again :(
posted by Pomo at 7:10 PM on May 2, 2013
posted by Pomo at 7:10 PM on May 2, 2013
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posted by RustyBrooks at 4:25 PM on May 2, 2013