Holy mackerel! Sorry, I had to say it. But actually, its tuna we're talking. Prized bluefin, a must for sushi.
If you eat sushi, you know it's pricey. Good cuts of fish are expensive.
But, a 754 pound bluefin tuna was just sold in the Tsukiji market in Tokyo for $400,000 -- that's freaking crazy.
The fish was "won" at an auction. Rumor has it the "winner" was immediately thrown into a straightjacket!
To break down the cost, the 754 pound tuna was sold for $530 per pound. To be nitpicky it actually cashes in at $399,620, but if you're willing to drop that much money on a fish, what's another 400 bucks!
Bluefin tuna is a crucial ingredient for making sushi, so it's no surprise the buyers were a Hong Kong-based sushi chain and a local Tokyo restaurant. A spokesperson for the sushi place called the tuna a "really good fish," and said his restaurant will make a lot of profit off the big boy.
For his sake, I hope so. You can buy my piece of crap Honda Civic, which I paid $17,000 for, nearly 24 times over with the $400,000 restaurateurs spent on one tuna. Yikes!
However, the fishing of bluefin tuna has become the subject of much debate in recent years. Over-fishing has dwindled bluefin's numbers. Japan consumes 80% of the world's Atlantic bluefin tuna.
In November, the United Nations tried to put bluefin on the endangered species list, but the motion was blocked by Japan and other Asian nations.
But have no fear, eco-nut Woody Harrelson will save the day. Back in 2009, Woody and other celebrities, like Sting and Charlize Theron, petitioned popular sushi restaurant Nobu to take tuna off their menu. No word if it worked.
Personally, tuna isn't my favorite. I dig salmon more. But I really like octopus and squid. You know, the gross stuff that only the brave dare eat.
Image credit: The Daily Eater
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