Toro (sushi)

Toro (Japanese: トロ, translating to "melting") is the fatty meat of tuna^[1][2][3] served as sushi^[4] or sashimi. It is usually cut from the belly or outer layers of the Pacific bluefin tuna (the other fish known for similar meat is bigeye tuna).^[5] Good-quality toro is said to create a "melting" sensation once placed in the mouth.^[1]

The cut is very desirable and has the highest price in the areas of the world where consumers like fatty fish (Japan, USA).^[1] This preference is a relatively new phenomenon: prior to the Second World War toro was considered to be of low value and frequently simply discarded.^[6]

Toro is subdivided into two grades:^[7]

• Ōtoro (大トロ, "big toro") – very fatty cut from the area belly area just behind the head, tender and rich; expensive and usually served on special occasions;^[4]
• Chūtoro (中トロ, "medium toro") – less fatty cut made from the areas closer to the tail; the fat content in the case of bigeye reaches 25%.^[5]

• 
  Ōtoro (very fatty toro)
• 
  Chūtoro (medium fatty toro)
• 
  Akami (lean tuna)

The meat from the inner layers of the fish, called akami (赤身),^[1] is more reddish and has less fat (with 14% fat in bigeye).^[5]

Toro from wild tuna is a seasonal product: winter tuna is considered to be better, summer one is less fatty.^[8]