Red-flesh fish (akami)

The deep-red, iron-rich muscle of fast, warm-bodied swimmers like tuna and bonito — bold, meaty and driven by umami.

Akami

Akami is the lean, deep-red back muscle of tuna — the most traditional cut, all clean iron and umami, and the one with the most mercury per bite.

鬢長 binnaga

Albacore

Albacore is the only fish that is legitimately 'white tuna' — a real tuna with pale-pink, mild flesh. If your 'white tuna' is opaque white, it isn't this.

中トロ chutoro

Chutoro

Chutoro is the medium-fatty cut between lean akami and rich otoro — marbled like good beef but balanced, and for many the best-value sweet spot of the tuna.

鰹 katsuo

Katsuo

Katsuo (skipjack bonito) is a deep-red, lean relative of tuna with a bold, irony flavor — classically seared as tataki. It marks two seasons: spring's first catch and autumn's fatty return.

鮪 maguro

Maguro

Maguro is tuna — the emblem of edomae sushi. At a serious counter it means bluefin, graded by fat from lean akami to rich otoro, and it carries real mercury and sustainability baggage.

negitoro

Negitoro

Negitoro is minced fatty tuna blended with scallion (negi) — silky and rich, served as gunkanmaki or in rolls. Buyer beware: 'negitoro' is often trim, not true toro.

大トロ otoro

Otoro

Otoro is the fattiest cut of the tuna belly — densely marbled, pale pink, and rich enough to dissolve on the tongue. The prized luxury slice of edomae sushi.