Spicy tune, spicy salmon: why minced up? I would expect actual slices of tuna and salmon?

38 comments

1. Lots of restaurants do their spicy tuna/salmon/yellowtail rolls this way. Unfortunately for the consumer this means you tend to get the scrap cuts.

2. It is normal – it’s a handy way to use scrap pieces from your cuts – it also allows you to get a good mix with your spices.

3. Same reason butchers sell steaks *and* sausage: minimize waste and make a value-added product. I prefer it for spicy roll options because it’s more well seasoned. As long as they aren’t scraping cartilage into the mix. If I want whole cuts I get nigiri or chirashi (which sometimes also has the minced stuff)

4. I’m pretty sure the whole reason spicy tuna rolls were invented was to use up the scraps

5. It’s super normal and very delicious.

   Order things like Nigiri, or rolls that specify that they are topped with fish (common rolls like Rainbow Rolls, Dragon Rolls, and Philidelphia rolls are all topped with slices of fish)

   Other rolls, like Tekka Maki, are tuna rolls that have sliced tuna, not minced.

6. Sigh,

   When you make spicy stuff, you have to chop it up with the Sriracha and mayo to make it spicy. You can’t just slather cuts of fish with spicy mayo, it won’t integrate with the fish at all.

   If you want a regular roll, you’ll get slices, you want spicy? They have to mince it. Period.
   If you take a bite of sliced fish with brushed on spicy mayo in a roll, it’s not going to be proportionate.

7. It’s done for 2 reasons, to cut down on waste and to enhance the flavor. Theres lots of part of fish that aren’t ideal to just eat sliced or in a roll. They have too many connective tissues that make it tuf and chewy, this is the main reason. As for the flavor, yeah you can get a regular salmon or tuna roll and dip it in spicy sauce. It’s a much different experience when it’s chopped up because there’s more sauce to surface area.

8. If you don’t like the texture add some cucumber to it, helps give it some crunch but won’t overpower you with flavor. That’s my preference, I don’t like rolls being too mushy

9. Because you can buy that ground shit cheap.

10. Can I order actual cuts of salmon or tuna in my rolls?

11. Spicy tuna/salmon/yellowtail rolls are just a way to sell the scraps. All they do is mix them with siracha sauce. If you want the good stuff where you actually taste the flavor of the fish, order things like rainbow rolls, Alaska rolls, or even just classic tuna/salmon/yellowtail rolls.

12. You realize Japanese food isn’t really spicy

13. It also depends on the restaurant. Some places use frozen ground tuna and ground salmon.

14. Any decent restaurant uses everything. Those rolls should be cheaper because they used the leftovers after making sashimi and nigiri

15. I’ve never seen a spicy tuna roll done any other way

16. homeboy gettin mad at his sushi when he ordered the wrong thing got me rollin classic consumer moment

17. Depends on the restaurant. Where i work we cut a few pieces of a filet of whatever fish to fit the length of the roll

18. The recipe for spicy tuna has always been minced tuna. You can’t mix the spicy sauce if they’re larger slabs of fish. You get more sauce and surface area and easier mouthfeel with minced tuna. And spicy tuna was made to save the really good scraps that were otherwise would have been wasted.

    And for you to ask “Can I order actual slices-”

    It’s like asking “Why are hamburgers ground beef? Why not just an actual slab of steak? Is that normal?”

    Because a burger wasn’t meant to be a slab of steak.

19. Very very very normal

20. You must be new

21. If you want a roll that has actual slices of tuna or salmon, get something like an Ocean Roll or one of many different kinds of rolls with them. And if you want it spicy, ask for a side of spicy mayo or whatever they have that you like. Or just order Nigiri and do the same. Or sashimi.

    Spicy Tuna Rolls and Spicy Salmon Rolls are just made like this.

22. Looks delicious 😋

23. If u just order a “tuna roll” or “salmon roll” it will likely be the one solid piece of fish ur looking for. Just ask for spicy mayo on the side or on top

24. I love how all your suggestions for a “real” spicy roll are from largely non-Japanese ingredients.

25. Most of the spicy tuna and salmon rolls I order in my area are always minced, however it depends on the restaurant. I order regular tuna rolls and ask for spicy mayo on the side.

26. Mate, at this point, you may as well make spicy rolls yourself. Spicy rolls aren’t actually Japanese sushi rolls, they’re a tasty western version for local palates. You can try asking the restaurant to remake it your way but you’re likely to be declined. Or just adk for a salmon roll with spicy mayo on the side.

27. Fucking hell 😂

28. Restaurants that get whole tuna scrape the bones to get the tuna for spicy tuna rolls. Smaller restaurants can buy pre processed minced tuna. It’s not really worse quality, but it is what it is. A lot of places you can order it specifically with diced tuna and they’ll chop it up from the pretty pieces like you like. That’s gonna be a few extra dollars though.

29. I used to be a sushi chef at a popular chain. We received full, frozen (it’s a requirement for all fish served raw to be frozen first to kill parasites) slabs of tuna/salmon, broke the fish down into filets, then for our spicy tuna, we scraped the frozen filets into a sort of paste and mixed in spicy mayo, togarashi seasoning, and sriracha. In my opinion, if you have the seasoning ratio down, this can result in some really amazing spicy tuna. Hands down my favorite protein in sushi.

30. I love it this way!

31. because they use scraps. It extends the usefulness of the loin, and it’s actually tasty. They mince the scraps with the kewpie, the sriracha and the chilies for consistency.

32. I hope you didn’t raise a fuss at the restaurant. It would be embarrassing if you gave people grief when you are the one who didn’t know what you were ordering..

33. Jesus. This is the hill OP chose to die on lmao People are giving you an answer, telling you it’s normal and you seem to want to challenge it. You know what it is now, so accept it, or make it yourself.

34. Bro have you ever had sushi before?

35. Spicy tuna is typically made from the flesh close to the skin. It’s left there because the tendons are thickest there and too chewy. After the tuna is broken down, a spoon is used to remove the flesh between the tendons so it’s not really sliceable. Usually we’d just chop it up really fine add salt, sesame oil and sriracha to make delicious spicy tuna. As others have mentioned, scraps are sometimes added.

36. It’s got to be hard going through life being as thick headed as you are. My condolences

37. It is normal. And all of these dishes were created outside of Japan.

    “History. The spicy tuna roll was invented in Seattle during the 1980s by Jean Nakayama of Maneki restaurant. She invented it by mixing tuna scraps with chilli sauce and rolling that into sushi with sheets of nori and sushi rice.“ (Wikipedia verbatim)

    It was a genius way to create a tasty menu item from difficult to use scraps. The better slices of the fish are more profitably sold in other preparations.

    Based upon your other comments I will have to deliver some shocking information.

    So…there’s no ham in a hamburger. Rocky Mountain Oysters? Yup, not from mountain lakes. No Geoduck has ever flown. Head cheese should be called congealed meat jelly. Sweetbreads are not made at a bakery.

    However, sushi is made to order so you can have what you want if you explain it to the chef. Ask for spicy poke in a maki roll. You’ll probably get it in the western inside out roll known as an uramaki. Just expect it to cost more.

38. Its normal, its the scraps from breaking down the fish.