In the small world of tuna, it is the equivalent of a painting by Van Gogh or Monet. A masterpiece of tender and red flesh that will soon melt in the mouths of a few lucky and wealthy chosen ones. The specimen awarded this Wednesday for the highest sum at the first auction of the year at the Toyusu fish market in Tokyo, is a beautiful baby weighing 211 kilograms. To afford this XXL tuna, a Japanese wholesaler and a Michelin-starred chef paid a sum as hot as a piece of wasabi: 17 million yen, about 129,000 euros. Imagine, at the market, that makes 611 euros per kilo of tuna.
“It is a lucky day for all who will be able to enjoy this fish. Hope this can brighten up my clients’ coming year a bit“Said chef Akifumi Sakagami. The king of the Pacific tuna has been cut into thin slices that will be savored in restaurants based in Tokyo, but also in New York or Los Angeles.
The addition is salty like soy sauce, but still far from the record set in 2019: a tuna was then sold for 2.7 million euros. But when you love, you don’t count. In Japan, winning a tone at auction brings good luck. Word of sushi master.