Skipjack

Alternative Names: Striped tuna, Oceanic Bonito

Monterey Bay Recommendation: The only best choice is troll or pole caught Skipjack from the East Pacific. There are many other sources that can be good alternative or avoid. Look up your particular origin at www.seafoodwatch.org

Uses in Cooking: Most often seared or eaten as sashimi. It can be smoked and dried to be used to make dashi broth. It is also a common tuna in cans.

Similar Fish: Yellowfin Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Albacore Tuna

Description: The meat of this tuna is deep red, almost purple in color and cooks up to a grey or off white. It has large flakes and holds together nicely. It has the strongest flavor of all the tuna when cooked.

Fun Facts: These fish seem to be created for the purpose of feeding the human race. They are prolific breeders that put on weight quickly and efficiently. They can grow to over 70 lbs and live a maximum of about 12 years. Despite being the second most harvested fish on earth by weight, the population appears to be stable.