Fresh Tuna
Fresh tuna is a dense, meaty fish prized both raw in sushi and sashimi and seared as a steak, with a flavor and texture closer to red meat than most other fish.
How to buy
Look for flesh that's a deep, bright red or reddish-brown (depending on the cut and species) rather than dull brown or grayish, and press it gently -- it should feel firm and spring back. If you plan to eat it raw, ask specifically for sushi- or sashimi-grade, which in the U.S. means it has been frozen to specific times and temperatures to kill parasites; nearly all raw-grade tuna sold has been previously frozen, which is normal and safe. It should smell clean and oceanic, never sharply fishy or like ammonia.
How to store
Keep it as cold as possible, ideally nestled in ice in the fridge, and use within 1-2 days of purchase. If you intend to eat it raw and it hasn't already been frozen to sashimi-grade specifications, freeze it yourself at 0°F or below for at least a week first to destroy parasites. Raw tuna can be frozen tightly wrapped for 2-3 months with some texture loss; cooked tuna keeps in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Clean, meaty, and mildly briny raw, with a richness that intensifies as it's cooked. Searing develops a more pronounced, steak-like savoriness, but tuna turns dry and chalky fast past medium-rare, so it's almost always served rare to medium in the center.
- Texture
- Silky and dense raw, almost like a fine beef tenderloin in mouthfeel. Seared tuna firms into a steak-like texture at the edges while staying tender and cool in the middle; overcooked tuna becomes dry, fibrous, and crumbly.
- Aroma
- Fresh tuna smells clean and faintly of the sea; any ammonia-like or heavy fishy odor means it's past its prime and should not be eaten raw.
How to prepare
- Sashimi — Thinly sliced raw tuna served simply with soy sauce and wasabi.
- Seared — Quickly seared on the outside over high heat while left rare in the center.
- Tartare — Finely diced raw tuna dressed with oil, citrus, or soy and seasonings.
- Poached or grilled as steaks — Cooked whole as a steak, best kept rare to medium to avoid drying out.
- Cured or smoked — Lightly salted or smoked to firm the texture and deepen flavor before serving thin-sliced.
Classic dishes
American
- Poke bowl — Cubed raw tuna marinated in soy and sesame oil, served over rice with toppings.
Italian
- Vitello tonnato — Thin slices of cold veal draped in a creamy tuna-caper sauce, built on fresh or canned tuna puréed with oil.
- Tuna crudo — Thin raw tuna slices dressed simply with olive oil, citrus, and flaky salt.
- Tuna carpaccio — Paper-thin raw tuna arranged like beef carpaccio and finished with oil and seasoning.
Mexican
- Tuna tostadas — Diced raw or ceviche-style tuna piled onto crisp tostadas with chile, lime, and avocado.
Japanese
- Sashimi — Thin slices of raw tuna served plain with soy sauce and wasabi to showcase the fish itself.
- Nigiri — A slice of raw tuna draped over a small mound of vinegared rice.
- Tataki — Tuna seared briefly on the outside, left rare inside, and sliced thin with a citrus-soy sauce.
- Maguro donburi — Sliced raw tuna served over a bowl of vinegared rice.
- Spicy tuna roll — Chopped raw tuna mixed with spicy mayo and rolled with rice and nori.
French
- Tuna tartare — Finely diced raw tuna dressed with olive oil, citrus, and seasoning, served chilled.
- Salade niçoise — A composed salad of tuna, olives, potatoes, green beans, and egg, traditionally built around canned or fresh seared tuna.
- Pan bagnat — A pressed sandwich stuffed with tuna, olives, and vegetables in the style of a niçoise salad.
- Seared tuna au poivre — A tuna steak crusted in cracked pepper and seared, finished with a pan sauce.
Mediterranean
- Grilled tuna steak — A thick tuna steak grilled hot and fast, served with olive oil, lemon, and herbs.
Spanish
- Ensaladilla rusa con atún — A potato and vegetable salad folded with tuna and mayonnaise.
- Escabeche de atún — Tuna lightly fried or poached, then marinated in a vinegar, garlic, and pepper escabeche sauce.
Filipino
- Kinilaw — Fresh raw tuna cured in vinegar and citrus with onion, chile, and ginger.