Let them eat escolar
Escolar is not even a species of tuna. It is a type of snake mackerel that may cause severe gastrointestinal distress for some people. Escolar eats wax esters, a type of fat humans cannot digest but can still enjoy for less calories than other, digestible fats.
Moochi Ball eats at I Love Sushi at least once a week for the first few weeks on the job at a nice downtown office. Spectacular views of the river and lake surround the bright office where most workers get to see actual daylight. Still, the work gets stressful and Moochi needs her escape from the grind of constant deadlines, client notes and useless reports. At least she will enjoy sushi for lunch. She already knows what to order: Negi-hamachi maki, a delightful and minimalist blend of scallions and finely diced yellowtail. A good chef dices the yellowtail into the consistency of deviled ham, almost paste-like to absorb the prickly flavor of the scallions.
She makes her way around 12:45p in eager anticipation. But Dedicated Manager dashes her hopes. No yellowtail, he says and offers to make negi-hamachi with "white tuna." Moochi Ball knows her white tuna and confirms its identity as escolar, the snake mackerel. Dedicated Manager shakes his a bit sheepishly, fully aware of the controversy around escolar. Moochi Ball just smiles and tells him she loves escolar. It tastes mild, almost buttery and a bit squishy with a slightly briny finish. She doesn't eat enough of escolar to experience ghastly gastrointestinal distress so she does not worry.
"It tastes the same, the escolar," says Dedicated Manager, "as the yellowtail." Moochi frowns at his suggestion involuntarily. Escolar and yellowtail do not taste the same. Perhaps similar but definitely not the same. Yellowtail has a deeper, richer taste that is not briny and the flesh is less squishy. It also tastes buttery but with different notes: think sea salt instead of brine. Yellowtail nigiri ranks as one of her favorites and negi-hamachi maki adds scallions for flavor and dicing for texture so that maki melts in the mouth.
The idea of escolar with scallions negi-hamachi style intrigues her. Why not?
She makes her way around 12:45p in eager anticipation. But Dedicated Manager dashes her hopes. No yellowtail, he says and offers to make negi-hamachi with "white tuna." Moochi Ball knows her white tuna and confirms its identity as escolar, the snake mackerel. Dedicated Manager shakes his a bit sheepishly, fully aware of the controversy around escolar. Moochi Ball just smiles and tells him she loves escolar. It tastes mild, almost buttery and a bit squishy with a slightly briny finish. She doesn't eat enough of escolar to experience ghastly gastrointestinal distress so she does not worry.
"It tastes the same, the escolar," says Dedicated Manager, "as the yellowtail." Moochi frowns at his suggestion involuntarily. Escolar and yellowtail do not taste the same. Perhaps similar but definitely not the same. Yellowtail has a deeper, richer taste that is not briny and the flesh is less squishy. It also tastes buttery but with different notes: think sea salt instead of brine. Yellowtail nigiri ranks as one of her favorites and negi-hamachi maki adds scallions for flavor and dicing for texture so that maki melts in the mouth.
The idea of escolar with scallions negi-hamachi style intrigues her. Why not?
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