Hawaii people must have their fresh sashimi for new years parties.

Wanda Adams writing in the Honolulu Advertiser reports.....

A sign that Island sashimi lovers may be becoming more knowledgeable and finicky is that a number of stores were using Japanese terms to describe types of sashimi-grade 'ahi.

Abura, a term that means "fat," is used to indicate a cut that is particularly oily. It is not a section of the fish but a descriptive term, explained Takenaka. Toro, however, defines a section of the fish, the layer of fat that sits just inside the skin in the belly area. Chu toro is the place deeper within where the belly fat mingles with the red flesh; the character chu means "middle," said Tamashiro. However, he said that in Hawai'i, the terms chu toro and toro are often used interchangeably. Some toro is cut horizontally, so that the entire piece is belly fat. Some is cut in cross section, so that both the light-colored fat and the deeper-colored chu toro are included.

At Marukai, the membership store where many Japanese nationals shop, chu toro was $22.99 a pound yesterday morning and chu toro block was a whopping $49.99 a pound. And if you wanted to grate your own fresh, imported wasabi to go with it, those little green knobs of delicious heat were selling for $69 a pound; a package of three short pieces enough to accompany a platter of sashimi weighed out at about $11.

Wow!  That's expensive.  I use too wouldn't touch the stuff - sushi nor sashimi.  I was of the same mindset as that old Terry Bradshaw commercial where he was at the sushi bar - "back home we call this bait."  

I gave in one day about two years ago and have been hooked ever since.  Have had sushi at least once a week ever since - absolutely love the stuff.  Not a big fan of the sashimi, preference is for rice/sushi.  Do not like octopus, but everything else is good.  Favorite is tuna and yellow tail.  Must say one of the least favorites is the striped bass (even though its called Suzuki).  Favorite rolls are the california, spice tuna and Samurai.  Of course being a southern boy, love tempura as well - anything fried is always good!

Eddie