Otoro Nigiri (Fatty Tuna Belly Sushi)

Long considered the king of sushi, otoro often makes the list of people’s favorite nigiri fish. But what makes this piece of fish so different than the other parts of tuna, and other fish in general? Well, it all comes down to the fat.

While the photo above may look like a piece of raw wagyu on some rice, it is actually the highly fat laden otoro, or tuna belly. This is usually the most expensive part of the tuna, and sometimes is even featured on a special plate at places like kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi restaurants)!

Otoro is just one of the two types of toro you will find on a tuna, but I’ll explain all three types so your knowledge is prepared for your next visit to a sushi restaurant in Japan!

Three Main Cuts Of Tuna For Sushi

Otoro (大トロ): Otoro, also written as o-toro, is the fattiest part of the tuna. It is located in the forward belly area near the gills. This tuna is the most expensive part of the tuna and can easily be identified by its marbled look due to the high fat content.

Chutoro (中トロ): Chutoro is also considered tuna belly, but it is more in the center area of the belly. It has a nice balance between pure tuna taste, and rich fat and many people consider chutoro to be the superior cut because of this.

Akami (赤身): Akami is the most common type of tuna you will see at restaurants. This type is the most red meat part of the fish, with very little fat running through it. Therefore what it lacks in richness it makes up for in pure tuna taste. Akami is easy to recognize by it’s flat, red color without marbling.

Making Otoro Nigiri

two pieces of otoro nigiri on a black plate

The very best way to serve otoro nigiri is also the most simple. Sushi rice topped with a thick slice of otoro with a little bit of fresh wasabi in between. It is unlikely you are buying and preparing an entire tuna – in fact many restaurants buy tuna by the piece since an entire one can cost thousands of dollars. So if you buy a saku (block) of tuna all you have to do is slice it for nigiri.

If you do not know how to make sushi rice, you can read my guide here!

Steps

  1. Place the piece of otoro between the palm and fingers of your left hand (reverse if you are left handed)
  2. Form the shari (rice) with your right hand.
  3. Use your right pointer finger to smear some wasabi on the fish and press the shari into the fish.
  4. Use your hand and fingers to form the nigiri, creating a nice seal between the rice and fish, and expanding the beautiful cut work.
  5. Top with some sliced negi (green onion), optional.

A simple piece of otoro nigiri is also a great item to showcase your favorite shoyu!

Sushi Terms Used In This Article

nigiri: a type of sushi made of a small ball of rice with a topping(s)

otoro: the fatty belly portion of a tuna, popular in sushi and sashimi

edomae: a Japanese word that means ‘in front of Edo’ and references sushi made in the traditional Edo period style.

wagyu: highly marbled beef (otoro and wagyu can look similar at first glance)

kaitensuzhi: conveyor belt sushi restaurants from Japan

chutoro: the middle fat portion of a tuna; a nice balance between otoro and akami

akami: lean tuna, also called red tuna, it has very little fat running through it so a saku of akami looks like a block of red fish flesh

shari: sushi rice

wasabi: a Japanese root similar to horseradish with a slight spice and pungent, floral notes

saku: a block of fish prepared for sushi or sashimi

negi: green or spring onions.

shoyu: Japanese soy sauce

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