Sushi question... Toro vs....?!
I am looking to slowly expand my sushi palate into more of the raw items and was wondering what the main difference was. I know toro is the fatty part of the fish, but was wondering about the taste. Is it stronger or more mild. Does it have a really fishy taste? Any other recommendations for people starting into the raw sushi world are also welcome.
Answers:
I have "taught" many friends to eat sushi/sashimi. One of the first raw things I introduce is Toro. It has a mild fish taste -- milder than bluefin or yellowtail -- but the luxury of Toro is the mouthfeel. It just about melts in your mouth since it is mostly fat. The texture is something akin to eating butter... I hope that doesn’t seem gross, but if you’ve ever tasted really really good butter that’s ice cold, you’ll understand that is a GOOD thing.Toro is definitely NOT fishy and even though it is fatty, it is not oily -- the difference is critical.
Many sushi chefs will prepare something like a Toro tartare. If you can get that at your local sushi house, try it. They usuall add sesame oil, garlic, green onion and some soy sauce (each has his own recipe) kind of like a vinagrette or dressing. Chef Morimoto of Iron Chef fame has a signature Toro Tartare that is to DIE for. Others have copied.
Other early introductions to the raw selections should include salmon (fresh, not smoked -- save the smoked for later on in your adventure). Salmon has a stronger fish taste and a firmer texture, but it is not too fishy and not at all chewy. That's what I usually recommend for the hesitant -- they all see the light eventually.... LOL
Bon Appetit!
The most valued sushi ingredient is toro, which is the fatty cut of the fish. The taste of toro is quite different from most other sushi and it has a very strong fatty taste as oposed to a milder taste. I highly recommend you try the following sushi to expand your sushi palate:
tuna (maguro)
yellowtail (hamachi)
snapper (kurodai)
mackerel (saba)
salmon (shake)
squid (ika)
eel (anago and unagi)
octopus (tako)
shrimp (ebi)
salmon roe (ikura)
sea urchin (uni)
crab (kani).
Japan Australia Blog
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…
Toro is less fishy in my opinion...
Why are you making a big deal out of sushi...