Tails: Fish portion which resembles the tail of a fish, boneless,
usually breaded or batter-dipped, raw or precooked. Weights vary from
3-1/2 to 6 oz. Sometimes the entire tail, bone-in, is breaded and frozen
for sale as a "tail". The term is also applied to shrimp and spiny
lobster with reference to their meaty tail sections.
Tarakihi - (Nemadactylus
macropterus). Average length 30-40 cm, average weight 1.8 kg, but can
grow to 60 cm. Found around New Zealand, southern Australia and southern
South America. Deep bodies and laterally compressed with one pectoral
fin ray elongated. Colour varies with locality from silvery with a
blue-green sheen, to silvery black. Distinctive black shoulder band.
Small protractile mouth with thick lips. Moderate scales. Tarakihi is
common all round New Zealand: most abundant in the cooler waters south
of East Cape and around the South Island. Demersal, main depth range
100-250 m. Caught mainly by trawling. Landed all year round with catches
increasing February to June. A moderate resource. The related porae has
more prominent lips, no black shoulder band, a greener head and back and
silvery sheen on sides. Porae is occasionally caught in trawls. Flesh
white, medium-firm texture. Suitable for all methods of cooking.
Tempura Batter:
A light
Japanese-style batter which is becoming increasingly popular.
Tentacle -
Elongated, flexible organ of some animals (eg. Octopus)
used for grasping and feeding.
Tilapia: a small, farm raised
fish, with a mild white flesh.
Ton: In international seafood
sales, usually refers to a metric ton (2205 lbs.).
Trawl - A wide range of demersal
(bottom) or pelagic (mid-water) species of fish are taken by this
fishing method which entails one or a pair of vessels towing a large
bag-shaped net either along the seafloor or in mid-water.
Tray Pack - A seafood packaging
form in which a product is prepackaged on a shallow, clear or
foam-plastic tray, over-wrapped with transparent, plastic film. An
absorbent paper pad, covered with plastic to avoid sticking to the
product, is sandwiched between the product and the tray to draw off
moisture.
Trevally - (Pseudocaranx dentex).
Average size 30-50cm weighing up to 1.5 kg. Found around New Zealand and
southern Australia with a similar species in Japan. Deep bodied.
Blue-green above, some yellow on sides, silver white below. Small
scales, row of scutes along rear part of body. Semi-pelagic. Caught
mostly by trawl, purse seine and set net. Flesh pinkish with dark lines
which may be filleted out; cooks to a light cream colour. Medium to soft
texture. Suited to most methods of cooking.
Trimmed - Finfish on which the
fins and tail have been removed.
Tripolyphosphate (also, Sodium
Tripoly, STP): A sodium-based additive used to control moisture loss.
Often applied at sea to fresh-shucked scallops. Seafood with tripoly
added is referred to as "wet," "dipped," or "treated."
Trolling - Several lures are towed
behind the fishing vessel and retrieved as strikes are made. Albacore
tuna, bluefin tuna and less frequently yellowtail or kingfish are taken
in this way.
Trout - Extremely hardy and
adaptable, rainbow trout have been farmed throughout the world for
hundreds of years. Their delicate flesh and clean taste have made this
fish a favorite of chefs and consumers. Idaho produces 80% of the U.S.
harvest, although small rainbow trout farms are found in nearly every
state. Rainbows are usually grown to a size of about a pound or two in
earthen ponds or concrete raceways. It takes about 10 to 12 months to
grow a rainbow to a harvestable size. In the wild, rainbow trout can
grow quite large, reaching 50 pounds in size. While there’s some
confusion between rainbow trout and steelhead, they’re essentially the
same fish. The difference is their size: farmed and wild steelhead are
the same size as salmon, while farmed rainbows rarely exceed 2 pounds.
Tuna, Albacore - A member of the
Scombridae family of tuna and mackerel the Thunnus alalunga is commonly
known as albacore tuna. Other names for this species include tombo,
longfin tuna, long-finned tunny, albie, albic, and Pacific albacore.
When cooked, albacore has a firm steaky texture, with large, moist
flakes. The albacore flesh turns from a reddish pink to an off-white
color after cooking. The flavor is a mild, rich taste. It is one of the
fatter tunas, with more omega-3 than the rest of the tunas. The albacore
can be distinguished from other tuna by its lack of stripes or spots on
the lower flanks and belly, and by the thin white trailing edge on the
margin of the tail fin. Extremely long, sickle-shaped, black pectoral
fins also set albacore apart from other tuna.
Tuna, Yellowfin - or Ahi. A truly
global resource, yellowfin inhabit warm waters of the Atlantic, Pacific
and Indian Oceans. The Mediterranean is the only warm sea where
yellowfin are not fished commercially. The Hawaiian name, ahi, refers to
both yellowfin and bigeye tuna. Ahi tuna has a texture that is similar
to beef, with a much more mild flavor, and is often eaten raw as sashimi
or sushi. Yellowfin is one of the largest tunas. It has a mild, meaty
flavor. Some say the flavor is similar to swordfish. It is more
flavorful than albacore, but leaner than bluefin. When cooked the meat
turns from a bright red to brown or grayish tan. It is firm, yet moist,
with large flakes. Whether it’s caught off Ecuador, Hawaii or Bali,
almost all of the true “sashimi-grade” fresh yellowfin and bigeye tuna
is sold to Japanese buyers who pay a premium price for 200,000 tons a
year, compared to 55,000 tons consumed in the U.S. Yellowfin and bigeye
are graded both by fat content and color, which can be an objective
exercise, as standards can vary from supplier to supplier, depending
both upon the experience of the grader and the condition of the market.
Fish with the highest fat content and the brightest red bring a premium
price. The amount of myoglobin in a tuna’s muscle determines its color:
the more myoglobin, the redder the flesh. The amount of myoglobin is a
function of a tuna’s age, physical activity and species. After the flesh
of a tuna is exposed to air, an iron ion in the myoglobin molecule will
start to oxidize, which turns the meat brown. For that reason, it is
important to keep tuna loins and steaks wrapped in plastic.
Turbot - To make it more marketable, arrowtooth is usually sold
on the West Coast as turbot, although it is not related to the true
turbot (Psetta maxima) caught off Europe, which is the most expensive
flatfish in the world. Arrowtooth can grow quite large, reaching more
than 15 pounds. About 5,000 tons of arrowtooth are landed off the West
Coast each year. Greenland turbot, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, which
is caught in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, is not
really a turbot either, but instead is a member of the halibut family
(outside of North America it is called Greenland halibut or black
halibut). To avoid marketing confusion with Pacific halibut, the halibut
industry successfully lobbied to have the name of this flatfish changed
to turbot.
Turtle - Any of several species of
reptiles that live in fresh water, salt water or on land and have a
carapace protecting their bodies. While all types can be eaten, the Sea
or Green Turtle is best known. It is also on the endangered species
list, and so very difficult to find, if not illegal to buy in many
areas. The Terrapin, considered by many to have the best meat, is a
small (7- to 8-inch) turtle that lives fresh or brackish water. Many
species of Terrapin are protected. The landlocked Tortoise are
considered the least desirable of the three types. The meat of the
female is more tender than the male’s regardless of the specific
species. Many Tortoises are on protected or endangered species lists as
well, making this difficult to find. But, turtle meat can occasionally
be found fresh, and sometimes either frozen or canned in specialty
markets.
