Most culinary schools teach sushi in a classroom. At Tokyo Sushi Academy, our International Sushi Chef Course is based in Tsukiji, Tokyo's legendary seafood district and the spiritual home of sushi. The best ingredients in Japan are just a short walk from where our students train.
Today our students went behind the counter at Kitani Suisan (キタニ水産), a tuna wholesaler in Tsukiji, for a close look at how a whole tuna is broken down.
The highlight of the visit was watching a whole tuna broken down by hand with a maguro-bōchō, the long, sword-like blade used only for tuna. Then the students got to hold it themselves. It is heavier than it looks and takes real skill to control.
At the counter, our students saw blocks of akami (lean), chu-toro and o-toro (fatty belly) side by side. Seeing the cuts next to each other makes it clear why each part of the tuna has its own price, texture and use in sushi.
We also saw a massive cut from a tuna landed in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. The label shows where each fish comes from and how it was caught, which is the kind of information a sushi chef checks every day.
You can learn knife skills anywhere, but learning where the fish comes from and how professionals judge it is only possible in a place like this. Visits like today's give our students a real connection to the people and the market behind every piece of sushi they will make.
A big thank you to everyone at Kitani Suisan for welcoming us!
Want to learn sushi where Japan's chefs shop? Find out more about the International Sushi Chef Course at Tokyo Sushi Academy.