Tuna

While browsing the web, I found these interesting facts and want to share it with every one:

Coming in as one of the largest species of tuna, the yellowfin tuna can reach weights greater than three hundred pounds. It is however smaller then the bluefin tunas of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

There have been reports of yellowfin tuna up to 95 inches and 441 pounds. According to the "IFGA" the "International Game Fish Association" the record for yellowfin tuna is 388 pounds.

This record was set in 1977. Two other reports in later years stand at 399.6 and 395 pounds. They do hold the record as the largest fish caught with rod and reel.

The bright yellow of the tails of the yellowfin tuna both as anal, dorsal and with the tiny fins in between makes them stand out and thus the name yellowfin tuna. The anal fins and second dorsal fins can reach almost to the tail. The pectoral fins, compared to the bluefin tuna, are much longer, yet shorter than those of the albacore. The dark blue of the body which turns to silver on the belly give the fish a distinguishing characteristic.

The yellowfin tuna live in the shallower parts of the ocean. Most will stay in the shallow parts of the ocean by night and deeper by day. This is attributed to the search for food. Usually the yellowfin tuna will stay in the top one hundred meters of water. There have been reports of the fish diving as teem as 1100 meters. Yellowfin tuna is a fish that will stay within it's own school.

Mainly located in the deeper areas of the oceans they inhabit, they will sometimes migrate to shallower waters if the conditions are right. They will normally be found near the Hawaiian Islands, Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Western Pacific. At these areas the fish are feeding on the bait fish that are closer to the shoreline. Basically they go where the food is.......

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The caudal fin of the yellowfin tuna is distinctly notched in an "M"chape at the centre of its fork.  Behind the second dorsal fin and the anal fin, the body profile of the yellowfin tuna is somewhat flat.  Theventral surface of the liver is smooth and the right lobe is longer than the central lobe.
Yellowfin tuna adults are distinguished by having a moderately longpectoral fin that is one third to one quarter the body fork length.  In juveniles there are about 20 broken pale lines crossing the lower sides.  In large fish, the second dorsal and anal fins may be exceedingly elongated and bright yellow.  Yellowfin tuna less than 75cm fork length (10kg whole weight) may be difficult to distinguish from small bigeye tuna. 

A beautiful and colourful tuna.  Blue to steel black above, silver to silvery gold on the flanks, silvery white below.  In fresh fish a band of bright gold or iridescent blue (sometimes both) runs along the upper flank, separating the dark back from the lighter belly area.
The stomach area sometimes carries oval, colourless patches and vague broken vertical bars of white.  These are more obvious in juveniles.
The yellowfins fins are bright yellow.  The finlets, in particular are canary yellow with black margins.
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Interesting facts about Norwegian Salmon

Season: Protection laws determine the fishing season. Farmed salmon is sold all year.
Size: Up to 150 cm, weight up to 35 kg.

The fish/fishery 
The Atlantic salmon is an anadromous fish, which means it migrate into freshwater to spawn, but otherwise it is a marine fish. After 2-5 years in a river, the small salmon undergoes a change, known as smoltification, rendering it able to live in saltwater. Once the salmon fry has become a smolt, it leaves the river and migrates out to sea. After two to four years, the fish is fully matured and starts the migration back to its native river to spawn.
Nowadays, fishing wild salmon is limited for the most part to sports anglers.

Fish farming 
Norway has been a pioneering nation in the development of salmon farming, and since the breakthrough with marine-based farming in the 1970s, it has kept its position as the world’s leading producer of Atlantic salmon.
As a coastal trade and export industry, the salmon industry has been extremely important for Norway. With the tremendous growth in production, which picked up speed considerably in the 1980s, the salmon industry currently accounts for about 50 per cent of the total export value of Norwegian fish products.

Use 
Atlantic salmon is sold fresh or frozen in slices, fillets or as whole fish. Salmon fillets can also be cured, cold-smoked and hot-smoked. Fresh salmon can be used raw in sashimi and sushi. It can be poached, fried or grilled and is very well-suited to stir-fry and casserole dishes. Smoked salmon can be served as a sandwich filling or in salads, with pasta and in many other combinations.

Nutritional content 
In terms of nutritional value, farmed salmon is an excellent product. It contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids and is rich in the fat soluble vitamins A and D. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for various cells in the body; they have a beneficial effect on heart and/or circulatory diseases and on bolstering our immunological defences.

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Sushi Chef in the making

In order to become a qualified sushi chef takes about 7 years of training.  The reason for this is that you must be able to produce the sushi as if you were a machine.  Your sushi must look the exactly same every time. In the first year, the apprentice will mostly see how the master makes the sushi. having to help with only the easy rolls, like California Rolls. It takes them nearly a month if they are fast learners, up to 6 months if they are slow learners. After that the must learn to perfectly cut every piece of sushi.  After a year, they will start to make the more stylish sushi, temaki rolls, Salmon Roses, dragon rolls etc. For the next 5 and a half years they are seen as junior chef's and try to get their sushi to the standard where only a machine can get it the same every time.After their 6th year of training, they are sushi chef's, but only becomes a senior chef once they have been making sushi for at least 13 years. By the that time, the chef can make sushi for up to 50 people on his own. If he trained in the area, and knows round about what mos of his guests will have, he can prepare for up to a 100 people.  While the western civilization likes to learn quick, and skip most of these steps, your best sushi chef's are mostly likely the ones that went through the whole course.

Asian Cuisine

In general, rice is the major food source for people from rice farming areas in southern China. It is most commonly eaten in the form of steamed rice. Rice is also used to produce beers(Tsing Tao), wine(Sake) and vinegars. Noodles come dry or fresh in a variety of sizes, shapes and textures and are often served in soups and fried as toppings and some varieties such as are symbolic of long life and good health according to Chinese tradition. Tofu, made of soy beans is another popular product to supply protein. When comes to sauces, China is home to soy sauce which is made from fermented soya beans and wheat. Oyster sauce, transparent rice vinegar, Chinkiang black rice vinegar, fish sauce. Spices and seasonings such as fresh root ginger, garlic and spring onion are widely used in many regional cuisines.

Tea

As well as with dim sum, many Chinese drink their tea with snacks such as nuts, plums, dried fruit. China was the earliest country to cultivate and drink tea and it is enjoyed by people from all social classes. Chinese tea is often classified into several different categories according to the species of plant from which it is sourced, the region in which it is grown, and the method of production used. Some of these are green tea, jasmine tea, black tea, scented tea, etc. There are four major plantations regions in China. They are Jiangbei, Jiangnan, Huanan and the southwestern region. China supplies 90 percent of the total Green Tea in the international market. 

Sushi Cape Town

Best Sushi this side of Cape Town. Leaf wishes all their fans a happy day. Come and enjoy an evening with cocktails, have a glass of wine, or just a cup of coffee while you are having a quick lunch. Be it Sushi, Asian dishes, seafood or grills, we are a Asian fusion restaurant that will strive to keep our guests happy

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