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Eco-Friendly Alternatives For Sushi Lovers

Photo by JADEN HAIR

Salmon that has a startling orange color indicates it's farm-raised, as opposed to wild salmon, which is red.

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By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 20, 2009

I'm deeply, truly, utterly and fantastically in love with sushi.

OK, let me be more specific. I love good sushi - none of that supermarket stuff. It's an indulgence I allow myself only once a month because it is so expensive! I use the sushi dinner as a treat for celebrations or a reward for jobs well done.

Then I met Casson Trenor, for whom I have very conflicted feelings. You know the term "buzz kill"? Well, Trenor is my sushi kill. He's a fish sustainability expert, and he told me that some of my favorite sushi fishes - such as salmon, bluefin tuna and unagi - are a no-no environmentally.

Sure, I could have just closed my eyes, covered my ears and walked away, but you can't do that with someone like Trenor. How do you ignore someone who saves whales in the Antarctic, speaks five languages, has done marine research in more than 40 countries and has gone octopus fishing with holy men on the Island of Yap? Seriously!

Do you see why I lovehatelove him so?

So I told Trenor he'd better give me some alternatives to my beloved salmon and tuna. Here's some of our conversation:

Me: I love the fattiness and distinct flavor of salmon sushi! Please tell me that I don't have to give it up.

Trenor: "See how that salmon is a startling international orange color and even bands of fat? That's farmed salmon. That kind of color is not natural. ... Wild salmon, by contrast, is a vibrant, healthy red; a color that's striking in its vivacity and luster.

"Farmed salmon is generally raised in net pens about a 20-second backstroke away from a Chilean beach, Canadian forest or Norwegian fjord. These operations can have devastating effects on the local environment. Parasites build up in those farms and lay waste to local wild salmon populations. Fish waste washes out of these pens and collects on the seafloor below, poisoning the plants and animals that are unable to escape to cleaner areas. Add this to the disease problems and potential genetic issues, and you have dozens of little environmental disasters scattered up and down coastlines around the world.

"My suggestion? Wild Alaskan salmon and farmed arctic char. Wild Alaskan salmon are from fisheries that continue to set examples for fishery management around the globe. Strong populations, sensible quotas, and enforcement combine to not only protect these salmon runs, but to also provide seafood fans with a delectable fish that's high in omega-3s, low in mercury and nothing short of gorgeous on the plate.

"Arctic char is an up-and-comer that is set to change the way we think about fish farming. Instead of using ocean net pens, arctic char farmers prefer closed inland systems that prevent any parasites and diseases from spreading to the surrounding environment. Waste is contained and filtered out in an eco-friendly manner. On top of it all, farmed arctic char has a beautiful red flesh and a delicious, light taste and texture."

Me: I guess that means I have to look for wild salmon at the supermarket, too. What about the very popular tuna?

Trenor: "Honey, bluefin tuna is in trouble. Serious, serious trouble.

"It's gonna be really tough for bluefin to get out of this situation alive. All over the world, there are people out to catch bluefin tuna. Longliners, tuna ranchers, seiners, and even rifle-toting snipers are out for blood. Our insatiable lust for the fatty, supple belly flesh of this magnificent animal is driving it to the brink of extinction. On top of this, the number of other animals that are killed and discarded by rapacious bluefin hunters is simply incalculable. ... We have to give this creature a break and let it recover. This animal is a top predator with an incredibly important role to play in our ecosystem. Lose the bluefin and we very well may lose the oceans.

"So what do we do? Well, one answer lies in one of the bluefin's close cousins, the albacore.

"Many albacore tuna populations, especially in the North Pacific, are strong and well-managed. These fish are often caught with hand lines that keep by-catch down and quality levels up. Sleek, rosy-colored morsels cut from the belly of this fantastic fish can grace nigiri rice with just as much class and luxury as any piece of bluefin.

"Swap bluefin out for albacore and the oceans survive. Otherwise, well ... you get the picture. It's that simple."

How to make sushi rice

In a future column, I'll show you how to make handrolls in a step-by-step photo sequence. But for now, here's a recipe for sushi rice. If you can get your hands on fresh sushi-grade fish (yes, I mean sustainable fish) you can always make chirashi, which is simply sushi rice in a bowl and slices of fish draped on top. To show you the difference between farmed and wild salmon, here's a photo from Trenor's new book, "Sustainable Sushi" (North Atlantic Books, $15.95). The wild salmon is in the foreground, and it has a smooth, beautiful reddish tinge. The farmed salmon is in the background with its stripes.

2 cups short-grain white rice

3-quart heavy-bottomed pot with tight-fitting lid

2 cups water

sushi dressing (see below)

Put the rice in the pot and fill with cool water. Swirl the rice with your hands for a few seconds and dump out the milky water, keeping the rice grains in the pot. Repeat 3 more times, until the water is a bit more clear. Let the drained rice stand for 10 minutes. Add the 2 cups of water to the pot and cover with tight-fitting lid. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Immediately turn heat to low and cook an additional 18 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit (still covered) for 5 minutes to finish steaming.

For the sushi dressing

5 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt.

If you are using "seasoned" rice vinegar, omit the sugar.

Steamy Kitchen Faves

There aren't very many things that appeal to the squealy girly-girl and the food lover in me, but the cutesy soaps at Milagros sure do the trick. They hand-make all of their soaps using all-natural ingredients, and their funky, innovative soap designs are so cool! While they have tons of floral and good-for-you herbal scents, I just adore the food-designed soaps. How else can you shower and smell like an appletini, birthday cake or mango tea? Or go a little green with my favorite one of all, "Garden Salad," with the clean scent of tomato leaf, lettuce and cucumber. Owner Teresa Ross started the company 11 years ago. The soaps were such a runaway hit that there are now more than 80 different varieties. Milagros is at 701 S. Howard Ave., No. 101, Tampa, and 1104 Central Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Go online at www.sisteragnes.com.

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