Super White Tuna - what is it?

Is escolar the fish restaurants are marketing as super white tuna? Anybody know for certain? TIA.

Hi,

IN this thread, there was a discussion of escolar. Sazerac states some restaurants refer to escolar as Super White Tuna. I have heard they do try to meter how much you eat to avoid any unpleasantness.

Regards,

escolar is not tuna. one problem is that filleted, as most stores buy it, it is virtually non distinguishable from oil fish, which carry parasites and may be harmful to certain constitutions, and should not to be eaten in excess of a couple oz. when the fish is whole, and you know what you're eating for sure, it's a different story. i assure you, that is generally not the case though. eat w/caution. knowing what i know, i don't even bother. hold out for the otoro.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/633892

I always wondered if this was a real tuna, or not. After scarfing down 10 at a time on many occasions perhaps a bit of restraint is needed for my health.

It's not Tuna, it's probably Escolar, sometimes referred to as Butterfish or Walu. Escolar has a high fat content - hence, Butterfish - and is in the Mackeral family, I think. It's been known to cause gastrointestinal distress for some, not me, fortunately... I don't think it is on the list of endangered or over-harvested fish at present

More than just a high fat content, some of that fat can't be absorbed by your body, which is what leads to distress. Same sort of thing as Olestra, if you remember that.

It's good to know that one should avoid going to town on the "super white tuna", lest one experience some...er...adverse reactions (ahem).

However, the OP in that Chowhound thread sounds an over-excitable rube:

It's fatty and tasty, but can make you sick or run to a bathroom. Watch out.
I consider any sushi place serving this "White Tuna" to be unauthentic. We should eventually ban this fish in the U.S. too.

Gimme a break

Maximum consumption should be no more than 3 oz's @ a time (about 5 slices of sashimi). Me, I never, ever eat it, or swordfish for that matter. Bon appetite.

Lepidocybium flavobrunneum

It's banned for consumption in Japan and Italy. I thought it was delicious when I tried it, though. I didn't notice any ill effects, but I only had a couple of pieces.

Note that "white tuna," without any "super," is sometimes escolar but more often albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga).

Sometimes the effects of escolar are just what I am looking for. (I know, TMI).

You know, I have gastric distress sometimes.

I occasionally eat "Super White Tuna" at sushi places, and I have had Escolar (grilled, whatever) in other restaurants.

How the heck am I supposed to know if it's gastric distress due to this, or just my random-seeming generic gastric distress?

I give up, honestly.

On a business trip a few years ago, we ate at a lovely restaurant overlooking the three rivers and downtown Pittsburgh. We ordered escolar and it was so memorable that I've often looked for it again. Absolutely delicious....ad no side effects. Hubby has celiac disease and had no side effects either. That said, we consumed a reasonable portion.

I'm assuming that cooked one would not have to worry about parasites that Jazzfood mentioned? Obviously, we'll never know if the restaurant purchased it whole or filleted.

Escolaar should be called escolar. I don't trust places that are shady with meat and fish names. Krab meat, anyone?