Fish
Tuna
Tuna are large oceanic scombrids—bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, skipjack—whose flesh ranges from deep red and fatty to pale and lean. Raw quality grades (colour, fat, clarity) drive sushi and sashimi prices; canned tuna is usually skipjack or albacore cooked and packed in water or oil. Texture is dense and meaty; overcooking any steak-cut tuna turns it dry and grey. Sear loins rare for steaks, slice raw for sashimi and poke, slow-poach in oil, or rely on canned for salads and pantry sauces. Species, catch method, and stock status matter ethically and for flavour—bluefin is richest and most contested. Keep sushi-grade chain unbroken when serving raw; mercury is higher in large long-lived fish.
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Cuts & parts
Breeds & varieties
A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles.
Characteristics
Preparations
Provenance
Sources
Traits
Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 10.1 g
- Saturated Fat 1.09 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 2.45 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 6.57 g
- Cholesterol 52.1 mg
- Sodium 74.7 mg
- Salt 0.18 g
- Total Carbohydrate 0 g
- Dietary Fibre 0 g
- Total Sugars 0 g
- Complex / starch 0 g
- Protein 17.6 g
- Water 70.6 g
- Energy 161 kcal
- Water 70.6 g
- Protein 17.6 g
- Animal Protein 18.4 g
- Fat 10.1 g
- Saturated Fat 1.09 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 2.45 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 6.57 g
- Vitamins 58.3 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.11 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.16 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 4.19 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.73 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.41 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 3.1 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 12.1 µg
- Vitamin B12 — Cobalamin 1.5 µg
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Vitamin D 12 µg
- Vitamin E 1.48 mg
- Vitamin K 0.5 µg
- Minerals 326 mg
- Major Minerals 275 mg
- Trace Minerals 50.9 mg
- Salt 0.18 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.18 g
- Cholesterol 52.1 mg
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 2 · vitamin-b12-cobalamin: 1.5 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.11 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.16 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 4.19 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.73 · vitamin-b6: 0.41 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 3.1 · vitamin-b9-folate: 12.1 · vitamin-d: 12 · vitamin-e: 1.48 · vitamin-k: 0.5 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 74.74 · Potassium: 150 · Calcium: 50 · Iron: 0.5 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 50 ·
Oily fish store long-chain omega-3 fats in the flesh—far richer than white fish.
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Coastal and river fishing for tuna and related species supplied essential protein long before agriculture spread globally.
Salting, drying, smoking, and fermenting extended the shelf life of tuna and enabled long-distance trade.
Ice preservation and railway transport brought fresh tuna to inland cities beyond fishing ports.
Industrial freezing, aquaculture, and global logistics made tuna widely available in international markets.