7 Traditional Tuna Dishes You'll Find In Japan

You may think you know a country's cuisine, but until you visit it and try some for yourself, you'll never truly be able to experience the different flavors and cooking techniques in their entirety. For example, many of your favorite Chinese American dishes that you'd find at your local takeout joint pale in comparison to the dishes you'd eat in China. Likewise, the food served in households and restaurants in Japan will likely differ from the sushi restaurant down your street. 

However, there is one ingredient that is popular in both Americanized sushi restaurants and Japan: tuna. Japanese chefs utilize different varieties of tuna for sushi, including yellowfin and bluefin, though there is also a lot of use for tuna outside the sushi realm. While Americans may only know of spicy tuna rolls and canned tuna, in Japan, the fish can be seared, served shabu-shabu, or eaten raw alongside some other unique regional ingredients. 

In order to get some insight into the must-order tuna dishes, we consulted two sushi experts: Joel Hammond, chef de cuisine at Uchi West Hollywood, and chef Yuhi Fujinaga from Orlando's Morimoto Asia. If you're lucky enough to pay a visit to Japan, here are some of the tuna dishes that you should try. 

If you're after a simple tuna dish on your trip to the land of the rising sun, look no further than tuna tataki. Although tataki can mean "pounded" or "hammered" from the verb tataku, and thus, can refer to different dishes using this method like tuna tartare, the tuna tataki we're talking about is seared, sliced tuna served with a signature tangy soy ponzu sauce. 

Tataki has a long history in Japan. It was believed to have been brought into the Japanese cooking lexicon during the Edo period. Folks suspect that the samurai who first created this dish, Sakamoto Ryoma, watched the cooking techniques of European sailors and mimicked them with other meat. Tataki can also be prepared with beef, though the tuna, which is typically yellowfin, is prized for its unique flavor and consistency. 

Our chef experts shared some of their tips for preparing seared tataki. Chef de cuisine Joel Hammond recommends searing the tuna on hot binchotan charcoals. "The flavor from the charcoal really shines through, [whereas] a gas torch tends to leave a bit of a butane taste," he says. "The trick to a strong tataki is extremely high heat for short periods of time." 

Chef Yuhi Fujinaga also points out that evenly cut pieces on the saku (the block of fish) are vital to ensuring perfectly even cooking. 

Maguro zuke don is a sashimi lover's dream. This dish is prepared by placing marinated pieces of tuna atop a bed of rice. The marinade is typically made with ingredients like mirin, soy sauce, and sake, so it has a blend of sweet and salty flavors that complement the tuna. The dish is also served with roasted seaweed (yakinori) to add texture and flavor. "[Marinating the tuna is] one of the oldest techniques [for] preserving tuna and [it's] the origin of edomae sushi," says Yuhi Fujinaga. 

Fujinaga notes that in order for the flavor of the marinade to properly infuse into the tuna, it must sit for at least four hours. However, Joel Hammond says he prefers the tuna to sit 30 minutes to an hour before eating. "This way, the tuna doesn't get that salt-cured texture to it, and the color of the fish doesn't get too dark," Hammond says.

Hot pot, a Chinese cooking technique, is a great way to dip your foot into experiential cooking. Shabu-shabu is essentially the Japanese version of hot pot. The cooking and eating trend emerged in Osaka in the 1950s, though now you can find shabu-shabu spots across the country. While the exact offerings, which typically include vegetables, thinly-sliced meats, fish, and tofu, will vary by restaurant, the process is the same; the food items are delivered to the table raw, and diners cook their food table-side in a pot (called a nabe) filled with hot broth. Like hot pot, the exact broths used can vary, but the recipes are typically kept simple. 

For cooking tuna shabu-shabu, our experts recommended a light shoyu (soy) base or seasoned dashi broth. Kamatoro is a common cut of tuna served for shabu-shabu; it's sourced from the jaw, collar, and gill region of the fish. The region is fatty and flavorful, which makes it a good fit for dunking in the broth. A proper shabu-shabu also comes with a variety of dipping sauces. Ponzu is a common pairing for tuna, though you can also find other citrus-soy accompaniments for your meal.

Maguro natto is a Japanese dish that can be an acquired taste. "As [a] chef, you shouldn't dislike anything, but natto is something I just don't like," says Yuhi Fujinaga. Natto, a fermented soybean paste, is traditionally served for breakfast in Japan. It grew in popularity during the Edo period and remains a staple food in the country today. Some people even consider it to be a superfood because of its positive nutritional value.

Natto has a very funky flavor, thanks to its bean-like undertone and fermented notes. Its texture is also sticky and mucus-like — almost like the soybeans have been coated in honey. When you're pairing it with a protein as delicate as tuna, you're going to have to make sure that the proportion of fresh tuna and natto is balanced, per Joel Hammond. Fujinaga explains that his wife, a natto lover, recommends using crushed natto (called hikiwari) for this preparation.

Tuna ochazuke is a soothing tea-over-rice dish perfect for using up leftover tuna. The dish is made by layering white rice and marinated tuna together, then topping it with green tea. The resulting dish has a consistency similar to porridge. Chef Joel Hammond recommends marinating the tuna between 30 minutes and an hour. Otherwise, as he explains, it can develop a "ham-like texture." Tuna ochazuke is also served with savory accompaniments, including seaweed, roe, and dried pickled plums (umeboshi). 

While it's commonly served with tea, you may also see tuna ochazuke covered with an umami-rich dashi broth. Chef Yuhi Fujinaga claims that "most restaurants will never use tea" for the dish and will instead opt for the dashi version.

This dish was originally created during the Heian period, though it became more widespread during the Edo period as tea became more available. In present-day Japan, tuna ochazuke is sometimes served as a way to close out the meal in restaurants. 

Tuna namero is essentially Japanese tartare. The tuna is typically minced into fine pieces to easily soak up the sauce that it's seasoned with. Chef Yuhi Fujinaga shares that the perfect consistency for this dish is "paste-like" and notes it should be seasoned well with things like miso, garlic, and ginger. 

Meanwhile, chef Joel Hammond uses tuna scrape for his namero. He prefers to keep the pieces as large as possible since they will break into smaller bits once combined with the seasonings. Despite what some people may think, eating tuna scrape is not inherently risky. It carries the same risks as eating any sashimi-grade fish. Plus, you may have already had tuna scrape before if you've eaten a spicy tuna roll at your favorite local sushi joint.

Sushi is a food that's commonly associated with Japanese culture. So, it's easy to see why the cuisine would also feature a tuna stuffing version of sushi. 

While most sushi is served in a pocket of rice and/or seaweed, tuna inari are enjoyed in a fried tofu (aburaage) pocket. The tuna filling is also creamy, thanks to the addition of ingredients like mayonnaise. It's kind of like a tuna salad stuffed into a crispy wrapper. 

Inari sushi first emerged in Japan during the Edo period, like many of the other dishes on this list. While the exact creator and origin story behind this dish is unknown, the name is a tribute to Inari — the Shinto god of rice. The aburaage, a type of tofu popular in Japan, was left as a common offering at Inari shrines across Japan. In present-day Japan, this dish is enjoyed as a quick and convenient meal; you may also find it served for lunch in bento boxes. 

Besides the tuna, these wraps also contain a little bit of rice. Chef Yuhi Fujinaga recommends seasoning the rice well before tucking it into the pocket. And if you're after a mess-free experience, take Joel Hammond's advice and use a piping bag to fill the pockets.