When you’re shopping for fish, you want to make sure you’re buying the freshest catch available. This is particularly the case for fresh tuna, whether you’re using it in poke or a sushi platter. According to Ahi and Vegetable, the top source for high-quality wholesale seafood products in Honolulu, HI, there are ways to determine if the tuna you’re planning to buy was recently pulled out of the sea or has been around a while.

4 Tips For Evaluating Fresh Tuna

Appearance & Color

The best tuna comes in different colors, ranging from deep red to pink. Fresh tuna meat often is displayed as whole loins but can be cut by request. If it already has been cut into steaks, look for meat that appears moist and translucent — signs of tuna that has been cut recently.

Texture

Fresh tuna meat should be soft and moist to the touch. As it becomes older, its surface starts to dry and little light reflects off it.

Firmness

Fresh tuna meat is firm. As it ages, it loses its firmness and becomes soggy, and the meat will gap or separate.

Scent

Tuna meat has a natural, meaty smell with a hint of the ocean. Take a whiff of what you’re planning to purchase; a pungent or foul odor is a sure sign it’s going bad.

With these tips in mind, you can distinguish fresh tuna from not-so-fresh fish. The staff at Ahi and Vegetable go to the fish auction every morning, so you can be sure the product you purchase hasn’t been out of the water for long. Call (808) 845-3500 to find out what’s in stock at their shop and visit their website to learn more about the business.