What is the Most Expensive Edible Fish?
If you were asked which food is more expensive, seafood or fish? You would surely opt for the first option. But, as for everything, some exceptions confirm the rule. This happens with some varieties of edible fish that do not have to be shellfish but their main competitors.
For this reason, the most innovative restaurants seek to distinguish themselves with exclusive foods that complete their menus and attract the most select customers, those who would pay a fortune. But what fish is it? Read on to find out.
Bluefin Tuna is Highly Valued
Bluefin tuna is a fish native to the Mediterranean Sea but also, it can be found in the Atlantic Sea. Due to its high demand and how difficult it is to extract, this marine species occupy the first position in the list of the most expensive foods in the world and has become an exquisite fetish for foodies.
At the beginning of 2019, bluefin tuna weighing 278 kilos was caught, which was auctioned at the Toyosu market in Tokyo to make sushi. A specimen that was captured off the coast of Aomori and that has broken all the records set so far. “Kiyoshi Kimura, the owner of the popular restaurant chain Sushi Zanmai bought it for $ 3.07 million for 612-pound of this fish”.
“The Atlantic bluefin tuna is the largest of the tuna species and can weigh up to 700 kilograms and measure 3 meters in length. It can also reach a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour. It is considered the most expensive fish in the world, according to the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries.” http://critterfiles.com/fish-friday-worlds-most-expensive-fish-caught-in-norway-trying-to-eat-farmed-salmon/
Why is Bluefin Tuna One of the Most Expensive Foods in the World?
In many countries, this fish is expensive but does not usually reach the price mentioned above. Its value is due to a basic economic law: supply and demand. For years, the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) has been considered an endangered species. Its growing success as luxury sushi has drastically depleted its population.
It is estimated that, since 1950, the number of adult specimens has fallen by almost 85% in the western Atlantic and 67% in the eastern. For this reason, their fishing is now subject to the strict controls of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, which sets annual catch quotas. And this rationing skyrockets its value.
Besides, bluefin tuna is a very attractive blue fish due to its flavor and texture that can provide us with magnificent health benefits thanks to its nutritional composition. It is characterized by its high content of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also contains vitamins, mainly B12, which are essential for the proper functioning of our body, and contains essential minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, and iron.
A kilo of bluefin tuna can cost up to $ 125 and this is certainly due to the strict control that has been imposed due to its massive fish. In this way, as the consumption of sushi from which is prepared with this fish, is heavily consumed in Japan, its price is quite high because is not so easy to get.