Suspicious Tuna

[Liza]

I noticed this in Miami last summer - raw tuna oozing pink juices. I've just visited the Grand Central market (on a carrot cake reconnaissance mission) and noticed the tuna at Pescatore to be suspiciously pink, nearly magenta. Tuna at Wild Edibles was reliably deep ruby, or maroon.

Is this a common practice? Is this dangerous? Am I right to be suspicious?

[tommy]

i'm no expert, but something is definitely fishy about this whole thing.

[Liza]

Is anyone else humming, "It had to be you"? Thanks, Tommy!  

[Fat Guy]

I've not heard any claims of dyed tuna, though I suppose anything is possible. Remember, though, that "tuna" encompasses many species with flesh ranging from pale to deep red and within each species the color of the flesh is affected by diet, climate, exercise, and where on the body the particuar cut comes from. Probably other factors too.

[Liza]

Granted, of course. But I'm talking about tuna oozing pink gel-like liquid. The fish guy tried to convince me that it was blood.  

[tommy]

the fish guy is definitely full of carp.

[Wilfrid]

i would rather my tuna had died before i et it.

(Why should tommy have all the fun?)

[Liza]

Where's the outrage?? Where's the incendiary posts?? This is shocking, simply shocking.

[jhlurie]

Suspicious Tuna... yet another eGullet contribution to the "great food related terms that could also be great Rock group names" thread we've yet to start...

[tommy]

i hope we're not fin-ished with this discussion just yet.

[jhlurie]

tommy,

go to halibut, come back soon.  

[tommy]

i see we're scaling back on the level of humor here.

[jhlurie]

If you find this fishy business a bit limpet, then why carp about it?

[tommy]

i really don't give a clam.  but i am curious to sea what comes of it.

[jhlurie]

tommy, I knew I smelt something fishy.  Lets not flounder and ruin this opportunity to make eGullet the sole Group, er... board... which appreciate fish in this unique fashion.  Mullet over.

[Fat Guy]

This is like one of those late-night radio call-in shows where the host is taking various calls about sports and world affairs and such and then some guy calls up and intiates a word game with the host that apparently they have played before. They have great fun and then the talk returns to current events.

[tommy]

yeah, just like that. 'cept that last bit you mentioned.  unless, of course, you start throwing your mussel around.

[Liza]

Thank you, gentlemen, for making me supremely glad I started this profoundly influential topic. But maybe, just for the hake of it, we could get back to the pink gooey stuff?

[stefanyb]

Not "just for the hake of it"......"Just for the halibut"

[tommy]

liza is upset that we're skating around the issue.

[Wilfrid]

This has opened up a kettle of fish.  I think Liza has tried to mackerel attempt to get back to the subject.  I think she's haddock up to here with all these puns.  It's all very shad.

BTW, Liza, why wasn't the pink goo just blood?

[Bux]

Fat Guy, you're not suggesting this whole thread is a fluke or that the red gooey stuff is a red herring, are you?

Liza, I assure you that if I had any information about this I'd be forthcoming and not clam up and threat this as a joke.

I take some solace in just knowing that tommy recognized tuna as a fish and not a component of his stereo sytem.

[Bux]

It's all very shad.

Just another plaice on shad roe for all you crabs to complain about.

[Liza]

- Halibut was already taken. I was going for the less obvious. Ergo hake. But why am I explaining this? Get back to the oozing pink liquid! Cripes, people, this could be up there with Olestra's "anal leakage" and some other disgusting food related thing.

[tommy]

i hope we're not fin-ished with this.