Yellowtail belly
Seriola quinqueradiata · Fish
Top 10 pairings
Yellowtail belly — buri-toro for the large winter fish, hamachi-toro for the farmed one — is the oil-rich underside of the Japanese amberjack, the yellowtail's answer to tuna toro. Cut from the fatty strip that runs along the belly and lateral line, it is pale rose marbled with white seams of fat, so soft it melts near body temperature. It is eaten as premium sashimi and nigiri, or brushed with flame (aburi) so the surface just chars while the buttery centre stays raw.
Picking a good onedrag
Just cut, glossy and firmOff: sour, soft, darkened
Counter freshBuy itCook to 145°F (63°C) inside. Pregnant people, children, older adults and the immunocompromised avoid it raw, sashimi-grade included.
Cut face and blood lineMoist and pale, the blood line still red
Press the fleshFirm, the dent fills back quickly
SmellMild, faintly marine
How it is keptOn thick fresh ice, uncovered
These cues are Yellowtail's, and hold across its cuts; where this one differs, its own page says so.