Markus Medak Lands 446-Pound Bluefin Tuna, Setting Rod-and-Reel World Record

Q: Chefs are serving every ounce of this record-breaking tuna, but what makes its spinal fluid a highly sought-after culinary delicacy?

It is prized mainly for its rarity, texture, and concentrated umami. In tuna, the fluid and soft tissue around the spine are produced in very small amounts, so chefs treat them like other “nose-to-tail” luxury parts such as marrow, collar, or cheek. Cooks and fish specialists say the appeal is less about the fluid by itself than the rich, gelatinous material associated with the spinal column. When handled very fresh, it can have a silky, almost custard-like mouthfeel and a clean marine flavor that some diners consider especially refined. In Japanese-influenced seafood culture and other fish-eating traditions, those hard-to-get parts are often valued because they deliver intense taste and a distinctive texture unavailable in standard fillets. Its desirability also comes from freshness and provenance. A giant bluefin broken down immediately after landing offers chefs access to parts most consumers never see, and those parts are best served quickly and carefully. That combination of scarcity, delicacy, and whole-fish utilization is why restaurants featured it from this record tuna rather than discarding it. In short, the spinal fluid is sought after because it is an ultra-rare byproduct of a premium fish, associated with a silky, rich, umami-heavy eating experience and the high-end culinary practice of using every part of the catch.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 12

A 446-pound bluefin tuna caught off Southern California this week set a new world record for the largest ever landed on a rod and reel.
Markus Medak of Shearwater Fishing made the catch with another fisherman off San Diego; the fish weighed 446 pounds after being gilled and gutted.
Tunaville Market and Grocery in Point Loma received the tuna, which was later broken down in a live restaurant demonstration with organizers saying every part would be used.
Tommy Gomes, who owns Tunaville, called the catch a major moment for San Diego sportfishing and said this year’s “Super El Niño” may be drawing more exotic sea life to the coast.