I am a Los Angeles native. You can find me in my mom’s SUV on the 5, attempting to befriend two-hour traffic jams while stuffing my face with day-old supermarket California rolls. Two years ago, I came to the Bay Area for school, and discovered the beauty of fresh. Fresh air, fresh food, fresh vibe…I love it all! Better yet, fresh for me meant a whole new avenue of truly healthy living and helping to create a healthy world.
I will say that for those of us who live here, we are blessed with the best gift that a coastal city of fresh, world-changing visions could ever want: sushi connoisseur Casson Trenor as a resident.
Lucky for us, we’ve heard of his new release Sustainable Sushi, a friendly guide with all the information needed for us to make sustainable choices at the sushi bar, allowing people like me to enjoy eating fish in a healthy manner while keeping healthy oceans in mind. We also have Tataki, one of the only sustainable sushi bars in the country, that Trenor helped launch. I must admit that my newfound excitement for this alternative mode of sushi eating has, well, made me eat more of it rather than talk about it to my dear, oblivious buddies back home.
Thanks to a review of Sustainable Sushi in the seasonal food magazine Edible Los Angeles, LA will finally get a taste of saving the oceans while dining exquisitely, as they seem to do so well. It’s a win-win situation.
Here’s what Edible Los Angeles had to say:
[Trenor’s] Sustainable Sushi is full of hard fishery facts and undeniable science…but Trenor wisely knows that it’s not just the facts that will change minds. Gorgeous illustrations of each fish and clear photos of exquisite sushi dishes will surely convince readers that seafood like the relatively abundant Northwestern geoduck is as tasty as and more sustainable than the scarce Caribbean conch. Most of us want to do the right thing, but few are willing to sacrifice gustatory pleasure doing it. Sustainable Sushi shows that it is possible to eat right—and well.
So, sushi-loving friends in LA, and elsewhere, here is a list of some sustainable options that can replace our common favorites:
1. Geoduck (“goo-wee-duk”)/mirugai
• Order mirugai instead of surf clam, wild abalone or conch
2. Alaskan Pollock surimi
• The Pollock are abundant and a more sustainable option than imitation crab used in rolls like California rolls
• Here’s a fun fact: Legend has it that the California roll, surimi and avocado, was invited in the 1970s in Los Angeles. The chef used avocado as a replacement for toro, which was difficult to find. The roll went on to become one of the most popular sushi dishes in the US.
3. Wild Salmon
• Farmed salmon live in crowded conditions which can increase their chances of contracting diseases or parasites. Farmers also use antibiotics or pesticides to combat these problems, and the residual chemicals can be passed onto consumers.
• Order wild salmon or farmed arctic char instead.
4. U.S. farmed shrimp and freshwater prawns, British Columbia spot prawns, Oregon pink shrimp
• They are a much better option than most Asian imported farmed shrimp such as tiger prawns—more environmental regulations are in place and in general the product is cleaner.
Can’t wait to make some immediate changes?
CLICK HERE to create a virtual sushi dinner. You can pick up to 8 choices and see if your choices made it on the “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative” categories. Don’t be shocked after the first round when you discover all your choices are ones to avoid; you can read why they are with the helpful pop ups. After you play a couple rounds, put your knowledge to test at dinner tonight at the sushi bar.
CLICK HERE to find reviews of restaurants and recent news in the sushi world.
Browser on IPhone not fast enough?
CLICK HERE to get your own handy copy of the guide!
So go on, tell your friends!
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