Where To Buy Sushi Grade Tuna In Chiang Mai

[idahospud]

Does anyone know where to buy Sushi grade tuna Ahi in chiang Mai and directions

[ProThaiExpat]

Ah, a fish market is what you want, I suspect. You could try buying from the sushi guy who makes sushi at at Rimping. I know he sells salmon by the bulk.

[p1p]

There is a good dealer in fresh wet fish very close to Lotus Kham Tieng.

If you come to Lotus on the Super Highway, drive past and take the first left. Turn left at the lights and turn right at the T junction ahead.

Turn immediately right into the car park in front of a large godown on your left. They get fresh fish in from Bangkok constantly and supply many catering and retail outlets around town. You need to be willing to purchase whole fish and clean/fillet etc yourself.

(They have a sad looking but beautiful cockatoo in a big cage out front.)

[SBACM]

Makro Has everything you need

[Al Trego]

There is a good dealer in fresh wet fish very close to Lotus Kham Tieng.

If you come to Lotus on the Super Highway, drive past and take the first left. Turn left at the lights and turn right at the T junction ahead.

Turn immediately right into the car park in front of a large godown on your left. They get fresh fish in from Bangkok constantly and supply many catering and retail outlets around town. You need to be willing to purchase whole fish and clean/fillet etc yourself.

(They have a sad looking but beautiful cockatoo in a big cage out front.)

Good place here and the fish is FRESH, FRESH, FRESH. I found some large Parrot fish here the other day. It made great fish & chips and the bones made delicious fish soup.

[Chef]

That place gets my vote too. They deliver if your order is large - and regular enough.

[idahospud]

Pardon by stupidity but can you tell me where makro is. Directions Thanks

[p1p]

Makro is on the Superhighway, Eastbound lane, before you get to the Sankamphaeng road.

[idahospud]

Found Mackro and Ahi Tuna 200 Baht for a large Fillet(frozen) but good quality especially for the price. Just defrost ,slice Soy Sauce and wasbe and I was ready to go. I ate so much I will not need another fix for a few weeks at least .

Thanks for the advice

[SBACM]

[realthaideal]

Who among the fish store savvy also has google map skills ? Cannot figure out the directions to those fish stores out by Tesco Kam Tieng for de life o' me. Bet this might help a few folks. I'm needin' to be rollin' my own in the next week or so. You know the feeling.

[vagabond48]

Found Mackro and Ahi Tuna 200 Baht for a large Fillet(frozen) but good quality especially for the price. Just defrost ,slice Soy Sauce and wasbe and I was ready to go. I ate so much I will not need another fix for a few weeks at least .

Thanks for the advice

Pardon my ignorance, how does one know if the fish is "safe" sushi grade?

[cm-happy]

Does anyone know where to buy Sushi grade tuna Ahi in chiang Mai and directions

Rimping has it, as well as nice salmon. But don't ask for Tuna, its AH that you are looking for. If you ask for Tuna you'll get white meat. Ah is the redish colored stuff thats in sushi dishes.

Edited December 24, 2007 by cm-happy

[thaitot]

There is not going to be a stamp that says sushi grade A+++ inspected.

I did the mackro Ahi tuna steaks and will do it again.

very good

[vagabond48]

There is not going to be a stamp that says sushi grade A+++ inspected.

I did the mackro Ahi tuna steaks and will do it again.

very good

The reason I ask, back in the USA about 15 years ago, out of ignorance, I bought some fresh salmon at a local supermarket and made sashimi with it. It tasted great. When I mentioned this to a Japanese co-worker who also buy sushi fish, she said "are you nuts". You could get sick from possible microscopic parasites because it was not sushi grade fish. Well luckily, I didn't get sick and my new gills come in handy for deep sea diving.

Seriously, how safe is the Ahi tuna, no matter how delicious it is?

[Nienke]

I've heard now on several occassions that in some places they keep the fish fresh by putting some chemical on it, something like formaldehyde.

Anyone know more about this?

Nienke

[FolkGuitar]

Found Mackro and Ahi Tuna 200 Baht for a large Fillet(frozen) but good quality especially for the price. Just defrost ,slice Soy Sauce and wasbe and I was ready to go. I ate so much I will not need another fix for a few weeks at least .

Thanks for the advice

As I understand it, ALL tuna is frozen as soon as it's caught. (I may be misinformed about this, but the information came from a NatGeo documentary.)

I carry one of those little wasabe packets in my BCD pocket when scuba diving, just in case a tuna or yellowtail swims too close to me. I figure I can eat it sort of like 'corn on the cob...'

Edited December 26, 2007 by FolkGuitar

[Ulysses G.]

In the US, they always used smoked salmon on sushi, rather than fresh, - I was told that it is because of "worms" - but in Thailand it is usually sold fresh. Kind of worries me when I think about it.

[realthaideal]

"In the US, they always used smoked salmon on sushi, rather than fresh, - I was told that it is because of "worms" - but in Thailand it is usually sold fresh. "

UG, I gotta vote 'Nay' to this factoid. The majority of salmon in the US is fresh, perhaps given a dousing with lemon juice, but even then you run the risk of cooking the meat with acid, so it is done delicately. Salmon is 99% fresh in the States. The only reason you would use a smoked salmon, which has a distinct texture and taste, would be to make a smoked salmon sushi. You can't hide smoked salmon and pass it off as regular. The salmon usually used is appreciated for its soft, buttery texture, something you only get with fresh stuff. At first sushi turned liberal with California rolls, and then some different fillings, but mainly it remained fairly conservative in its interpretation. These days they're using smoked this n that, deep frying whole maki, and throwing (yakitori) ell sauce all over everything. It must make Japanese traditionalists cringe. But it's what's going on and won't go back to the old ways. As for smoked salmon, it goes great in a roll with green onions and maybe a little takuwan (pickled radish), it tastes like NY Deli meets Tokyo!

As to the other point, sushi still has a risk factor, but that's a calculated one, and it's best to either be fish smart yourself or only go to reputable places for it. I just know. For others, you need to follow the usual guidelines about not eating where there are few customers and no natives enjoying the fare. Those places and their product are suspicious.

[just_Elaine]

There is a good dealer in fresh wet fish very close to Lotus Kham Tieng.

If you come to Lotus on the Super Highway, drive past and take the first left. Turn left at the lights and turn right at the T junction ahead.

Turn immediately right into the car park in front of a large godown on your left. They get fresh fish in from Bangkok constantly and supply many catering and retail outlets around town. You need to be willing to purchase whole fish and clean/fillet etc yourself.

(They have a sad looking but beautiful cockatoo in a big cage out front.)

Hi. Is this fish place still there? Also, is there a fresh fish place on the South part of Chiang Mai?

Thanks,

Elaine

[Ulysses G.]

"In the US, they always used smoked salmon on sushi, rather than fresh, - I was told that it is because of "worms" - but in Thailand it is usually sold fresh. "

UG, I gotta vote 'Nay' to this factoid. The majority of salmon in the US is fresh, perhaps given a dousing with lemon juice, but even then you run the risk of cooking the meat with acid, so it is done delicately. Salmon is 99% fresh in the States. The only reason you would use a smoked salmon, which has a distinct texture and taste, would be to make a smoked salmon sushi. You can't hide smoked salmon and pass it off as regular. The salmon usually used is appreciated for its soft, buttery texture, something you only get with fresh stuff. At first sushi turned liberal with California rolls, and then some different fillings, but mainly it remained fairly conservative in its interpretation. These days they're using smoked this n that, deep frying whole maki, and throwing (yakitori) ell sauce all over everything. It must make Japanese traditionalists cringe. But it's what's going on and won't go back to the old ways. As for smoked salmon, it goes great in a roll with green onions and maybe a little takuwan (pickled radish), it tastes like NY Deli meets Tokyo!

As to the other point, sushi still has a risk factor, but that's a calculated one, and it's best to either be fish smart yourself or only go to reputable places for it. I just know. For others, you need to follow the usual guidelines about not eating where there are few customers and no natives enjoying the fare. Those places and their product are suspicious.

You know much more about sushi than me, but 20 years ago, when I lived in San Francisco, I was often told that the fish that they were using for sushi was all smoked and it tasted like it and had a different texture than fresh.

Maybe things have changed?

[butterisbetter]

Actually, sushi salmon that comes from Japan - which is where the sushi salmon in Thailand comes from - is now universally deep frozen to a temperature of 76 degrees below zero farenheit. That kills all parasites. It's not frozen that way uust to kill the parasites but also to preserve the flavor. The technique is so good that it's virtually impossible even for sushi chefs to tell the difference.

[Ulysses G.]

i have been told that all the salmon in Thailnd is farmed salmon and that farmed salmon usually do not have a lot of Omega 3 oils like wild salmon. Are these things true?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

"In the US, they always used smoked salmon on sushi, rather than fresh, - I was told that it is because of "worms" - but in Thailand it is usually sold fresh. "

.

You know much more about sushi than me, but 20 years ago, when I lived in San Francisco, I was often told that the fish that they were using for sushi was all smoked and it tasted like it and had a different texture than fresh.

Maybe things have changed?

I will throw in a few finer points.

Sushi is not the raw fish but food elements combined with Vinegar Rice and pressed/toasted nori seaweed. Sushi can be eggs, raw fish, vegetables, meat, cooked seafood etc combined with the vinegar Rice.

Sashimi is raw fish. Sashimi translates to "Piercing" which some interpret to mean immediately piercing the brain a fish caught on hand line to prevent lactic acid from invading the flesh and making it tough and less tasty. Fish caught in nets struggle and are bruised which damages the flesh due to release of lactic acid.

The common most desirable practice is to immediately put the dispatched fish on ice slurry which also prevents the lactic acid from circulating. Also freezing the fish for 12 to 24 hours causes parasites to die. Something like 99% of all wild Salmon has tapeworm parasites but the freezing prevents transmission to humans.

In addition the freezing and thawing causes the cells to expand then burst which helps make the raw fish softer and succulent.

If you have ever taken a fish out of the ocean and sliced it up then it is quite chewy and nothing like Sashimi. It's the freezing and thawing that makes it buttery soft.

BTW a lot of fish is treated with carbon monoxide which causes the flesh to appear red or pink for much longer. This is controversial because even if the fish is going bad it still appears to look good.

When someone says Sashimi or Sushi grade raw fish then it can mean very different levels of handling.

Hope that somewhat illuminates this tasty culinary art.

[Bill97]

i have been told that all the salmon in Thailnd is farmed salmon and that farmed salmon usually do not have a lot of Omega 3 oils like wild salmon. Are these things true?

Mostly farmed salmon because it is cheaper. Wild catch is usually labeled as such because it is better. Not sure about how much lower the Omega 3 oils are but have read about the lower nutritional value of farmed salmon and possibly unhealthy additives in the meat from the feed and efforts at disease prevention in the farms.

[butterisbetter]

i have been told that all the salmon in Thailnd is farmed salmon and that farmed salmon usually do not have a lot of Omega 3 oils like wild salmon. Are these things true?

Mostly farmed salmon because it is cheaper. Wild catch is usually labeled as such because it is better. Not sure about how much lower the Omega 3 oils are but have read about the lower nutritional value of farmed salmon and possibly unhealthy additives in the meat from the feed and efforts at disease prevention in the farms.

Actually, most wild-caught salmon is mostly cheaper than farmed salmon. The main exception to this is the king (chinook) salmon which can be more expensive - especially if it is line caught and properly dressed after landing. Farmed salmon is mainly atlantic salmon. The reason for the higher prices of chinook and atlantic is that they have a higher fat content. If you go to Rimping and look at what they call sushi grade salmon you can see that it has larger bands of fat than the other grades of salmon that are offered. But all the grades on offer there are atlantic salmon. I did once see salmon trout on offer there but that was a while ago now. Of course, salmon, being a commodity, can have huge fluctuations in its prices. This goes for both wild and farmed. I expect that with the worldwise recession, prices are falling already.

[bunta71]

Farmed salmon are fed pellets similar to chicken feed but formulated for salmon. These fish , to the true gourmet of salmon taste like the "dogfood" (pellets) that they eat. You are what you eat.There is no such creature as a salmon trout. Perhaps confused with a "Steelhead Trout" which is a rainbow trout that travels around the ocean like salmon for a few years before returning to it's original stream. They are as big as a smaller salmon ranging in the 10-20 lb. area. Hardest game fish to catch IMO. I grew up near what used to be the worlds largest salmon hatchery in Leavenworth,Washington. Two rivers there packed with Chinook (also called Kings or Blackmouth) and Sockeye and Steelhead and other species of trout. When I was 21 years old moved to Alaska for 16 years, flew my own airplane to places where the salmon were so thick in the streams you literally could not see the water,only the backs of the salmon. Many days caught 10 - 30 fish for smoking and canning. All the salmon have the worms. Great dieting additive. If you want some good salmon keep your eyes out for Copper River reds(sockeye) or Copper River Kings. These are the best you can do to taste fresh wild salmon without being there. Farm fish?? Keep it thank you very much.

[Ulysses G.]

Farm fish?? Keep it thank you very much.

I went many years with no salmon at all in Thailand and supposedly farmed fish are all that is available now. I find farmed sushi and sashimi pretty tasty, but the only cooked farm fish IMHO that are very good are covered with terriyaki sauce.

Anyway, I'm glad that we have it available, but I wish that I could find info about the Omega 3 oils.

[bunta71]

Yes that would be interesting to know. My guess and that is all it would be is a guess would be that there wouldn't be a lot of difference in the Omega 3 oils. The variables involved in what brand of pellets are used, how much and what kinds of natural foods get through the pens.etc would probably make a comparison difficult. I am sure you take supplements for your needs UG like myself and living here it is the best we can do.

Edited December 26, 2008 by bunta71

[butterisbetter]

Farmed salmon are fed pellets similar to chicken feed but formulated for salmon. These fish , to the true gourmet of salmon taste like the "dogfood" (pellets) that they eat. You are what you eat.There is no such creature as a salmon trout. Perhaps confused with a "Steelhead Trout" which is a rainbow trout that travels around the ocean like salmon for a few years before returning to it's original stream. They are as big as a smaller salmon ranging in the 10-20 lb. area. Hardest game fish to catch IMO. I grew up near what used to be the worlds largest salmon hatchery in Leavenworth,Washington. Two rivers there packed with Chinook (also called Kings or Blackmouth) and Sockeye and Steelhead and other species of trout. When I was 21 years old moved to Alaska for 16 years, flew my own airplane to places where the salmon were so thick in the streams you literally could not see the water,only the backs of the salmon. Many days caught 10 - 30 fish for smoking and canning. All the salmon have the worms. Great dieting additive. If you want some good salmon keep your eyes out for Copper River reds(sockeye) or Copper River Kings. These are the best you can do to taste fresh wild salmon without being there. Farm fish?? Keep it thank you very much.

Just as there are multiple names for king salmon and sockeye salmon, so also are there multiple names for steelhead trout, one of which is salmon trout.