What does Date-Maguro Chutoro taste like?
Date-Maguro Chutoro, from Tsuji Suisan's farm-raised bluefin in Ehime, tastes slightly leaner than Chutoro from our Goto Islands bluefin, but its flavor holds its own. Keita expects it to get fattier in the coming months. Sashimi DC imports it directly from Japan for pickup or delivery in Washington DC.
This week's shipment arrived Tuesday instead of Wednesday — Japan's Silver Week holiday cluster shifted the schedule. Typhoon No. 25 (Dujuan) is still sitting off Honshu's eastern shore, and heavy rain hit the Tokyo area in the past 24 hours. Between the storm and the holiday thinning the market, prices are elevated and volume is down; we don't expect real improvement before mid-next week.
This Week's Market: Typhoon Dujuan and a Thin Holiday Market
Silver Week — the run of holidays clustered around the Autumnal Equinox — closes much of Japan's market activity for several days each September, and this year it overlaps with Typhoon Dujuan parked off the eastern coast. Less trading, less fishing activity, and lingering rain around Tokyo are all pushing volume down and prices up broadly. We're watching it closely; the earliest we expect things to ease is mid-next week.
First Taste: Date-Maguro Chutoro
Keita tasted Chutoro from Date-Maguro for the first time this week, and it's good. The fat content runs a touch lighter than Chutoro from our Goto Islands Bluefin Tuna, but the flavor holds its own — and Date-Maguro is still building toward its peak, so expect it to get fattier as the months go on.
This Week's Lineup
Alongside Bluefin Tuna, the case carries Sasshu Salmon, Hokkaido Bafun Uni, Hokkaido Scallops, Kinmedai, Madai, Unagi Kabayaki, Saba, Ikura, Shiso, and fresh Wasabi.
New Class Date: October 3
We've added a new date for the Knife Sharpening and Sashimi Slicing Class — Saturday, October 3. Bring your own knife, sharpen it on whetstones with guidance from Keita, then practice on sashimi-grade fish. Get tickets, or see our Events page for all upcoming dates.
Shout-Out: Jen Dasom Anderson, Novella Wines, in “We the Wine People”
Jen Dasom Anderson of Novella Wines — one of our seven winemaker partners — is featured in the new documentary “We the Wine People,” which follows Virginia's winemakers, growers, and advocates as they turn a historic, challenging wine region into a story of land, resilience, collaboration, and American craft. It's streaming now on Apple TV and Amazon. Follow Novella Wines on Instagram.