Can You Eat Bonita Trash Fish or Treasure? 

Great job doing Albie 3 different ways. Well just subscribed and guess what? I found a treasure when I found this channel! Thanks for posting.

I often find myself pondering just how much I take for granted when I am presented with a notion that a food item just isn't up to par for me to eat when I know there is a countless number of people who'd never even consider a certain type of food, such as an overbearingly strong tasting fish for example, as being inedible solely based on taste or texture. I know what poverty is, I was raised in it. I know what it is to lose one's freedom, I have served time in state prison. I know what it is to experience many terrible things, but never have I known what it means to truly go hungry. All that personal reflection aside, I think it's awesome that the content provider has taken on the task of inspiring others to expand their menus and to enjoy some less than popular proteins. Any effort that reduces the burden upon the ocean wildlife we have been harvesting far too greatly is an effort worthy of praise. Thumbs up indeed.

I think with the invention of Google and RU-vid, people are finding that things they were told not to eat are actually pretty tasty. Great job and keep up the good work.

When I lived in Japan, we used to go fishing for these in little dinghies where the fishermen were packed in like sardines themselves, and we'd pull these in by the dozens. The main way people there consumed them was as poke cubed into small pieces, tossed with soy and a few other ingredients and consumed raw over a bowl of rice...absolutely delicious!

A hint from an old bonito eater from 1960's -- - When you land one you aim to eat, - immediately cut/pop the blood vein at the throat and let them bleed out while flapping about, - then ice. When you filet - leave the skin on, then, skin side down cut out the blood meat in the v shape along the ventral line. THEN when handled that way they are nearly white meat albacore !!

My mom grew up in a fishing village on the coast of Maine. She used to tell me that the people in her village considered Atlantic pollock to be a trash fish. Now I (among others) pay to eat it as McDonald's filet-o-fish sandwich. :)

Every long range trip I've taken from San Diego, the boat chefs will make a platter from a freshly caught Bonita. Seems like everyone enjoys the Bonita.

i lived in St. Thomas and used to eat them all the time , i really like the dark part you used for chum , it kinda taste beefy in my experience

Patagonian toothfish was a trash fish till an enterprising fish monger started calling it Chilean Seabass.

Bonita was the fish that everyone told me was horrible and practically inedible. Now, it’s one of my favorites. My mom nearly vomited when she discovered she wasn’t actually eating blackfin but Bonita. She’s from the old school of “if it ain’t stark white and tasteless, it ain’t worth eating.”

IMO bonito is one of the best tasting fish.. I catch them all the time here in southern california. how the hell is a bonito a trash fish?? it's not a bottom feeder... Halibut eat everything from trash to seal feces and arent considered a trash fish, but for some reason they are one of the most expensive and best tasting fish you can buy at the store... double standards ?

Been eating bonito for about 37 years now. I will swap white meat fish for bonito any day. Prepared them in more ways than I can remember. The wife and kids love them more when I make 1" X 1'' battered deep fried nuggets. Great for salads if you cut them into 1/2" X 1/2" nuggets, quick dip in the deep fryer with no batter, just a bit of spice.

Great video! My grandfather in his day praised the Bonita and it was almost a staple meat for the family when we were kids in the 70s on through the 80s he was fishing in So Cal off the Harbor zones the Rocks and the Jetty. I was a baby in the 70s but grandfather fed his family and we ate Bonita as well. Made it as Ceviche, also baked and fried of course.

The Japanese make really great Tataki and Steak out of it. Sometimes they make Sashimi out of it or use it for Sushi. The dark parts you can use for making stews with a strong taste. So all in all a great fish.

Reminded me a lot of blue fish. I'm from Ct. and a lot of people talk bad about blue fish. I like it. Never tried cutting the dark stuff out. People say it's too "fishy"... maybe they should stick with chicken! LOL!! Great cooking job. Looked delicious.

60 years ago as I was growing up in Southern California I caught many Bonita off the Manhattan Beach Pier; I was in a Catholic family that required no meat Friday. I caught many, many Friday dinners. The Bonita is a baby Tuna fish. When I caught a fish I would cut the area in front of the gills that would drain out the blood.

When I was an Army medic attached to the Naval Hospital in San Diego I would fish the Imperial Beach pier frequently. One day when the bonito was running a little old lady,with her cart,came over and asked why I was throwing the fish back. I explained I lived in the barracks and had no way to cook them. She asked if she could have one. Every I went down there she would show up and I would give all the fish wanted. She told me she was finding her cats. Well,she either had the fattest cats in San Diego or I was feeding a lot of elderly people. I kept up giving her fish until I finished training and left. Hadn’t thought about until this video. It happened in ‘72.

Great presentation. A guy who cooks a lot of variety of fish recommended soaking all fish in milk for 4-30 mins. prior to cooking, just passing on the tip. He reported the texture is better and adds something to the taste. Thanks for sharing the experience. Keep on fishin'

In japan, bonito is smoked and dried for up to 6 months or more.then It is shaved really thin and packaged and sold. Tastes phenomenal on hot rice, in soups, etc. it is a main ingredient in many Japanese dishes or sushi bars.

here in Hawaii people would rather take those instead of yellow fins Bonita is one of my personal favorites to eat eat the nice meet Rae like sashimi and the blood just flour salt pepper and fry it also during summer we can even catch them from shore

bontito is absolutely amazing,I used to catch them all the time as a young boy.

Aloha from Kailua. Here in Hawai'i we call this fish "Kawakawa" (kah-vah-kah-vah), and local people here consider the Kawakawa a delicacy. We usually bleed the fish as soon as caught while still alive to let their heart pump the blood out then ice down right away, makes a big difference in quality of taste. We usually eat it raw either poke (poh-keh), or sashimi. It is also great marinated and grilled, and even makes a great fish jerky. Mahalo for the great video, good to know they are in the Gulf as I plan to eventually to relocate to SW Florida when I retire where the retirement dollar goes allot farther. Looking forward to catching Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel, and Red Snapper, fish we don't have here.

We eat plenty Bonita. After you clean it smash a garlic one squeeze of lime a little salt put it in a bowl of water cover the bowl and put in fridge. 2 hours later Fry or stew.

I've never caught a species of fish I haven't eaten -- mainly because I eat all of them, just to test it out. I personally call Bonita Mini Blackfin, as in my opinion, their meat tastes, looks, smells, and feels identical to Blackfin tuna.

I think alot of the fish that are deemed "Trash fish" are just as tasty as most other fish, but are just more difficult and time consuming to process and prepare for the plate. Not all trash fish are good to eat, but the majority of them in my honest opinion are quite tasty. Thanks for the videos and definitely thumbs up.

I live in sc so it's always the same fish: catfish, tilapia, whiting, pollock, salmon. This channel has helped so much in seeing that the variety is much larger.

Those look like what we call here in New England, false albacore. Cubed and then thrown in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water,turn off heat and let the fish steep for about ten to fifteen minutes, then slather with melted butter or lemon juice and oil.If you chill unused portions mix with mayo,celery,onion what have you a great tuna salad for sandwiches.

In Japan, they smoke and dry bonita until it's practically rock-hard and then grate/shave off pieces of it. Those shavings and kelp seaweed are the ingredients used to make dashi stock, the basis of much of their foods.

The dark red oily meat of tuna is better for soups and broths, which is how the Japanese use it. You will get sick of the gamey oily taste fast if you fry or sear Bonita. Bonita is one of the best baits for Yellow Fin tuna and works a treat on Snapper (Red Bream) here in the Pacific.

Awesome vid. I love these "trash fish" catch-n-cook videos. I think that if most people would open their minds and kitchens to these so called trash fish we could relieve a lot of pressure on the other fish that re being pushed to their limits and require heavy regulation.

Recipe for Jack Crevalle. You have to grill on a cedar plank. Soak plank in water then oil with olive oil, put Cravalle filets on top with garlic salt and lemons on top. Grill with lid closed. When fish is flaky, Scrape off Jack Crevalle into trash, eat plank.

Just did the blackened bonita. Very good eats.

Just think , how people from have put negative names and titles to people over the years ,because of the color of skin !Didnt just happen to fish. something to teach your grandchildren ,dont always believe what oldtimers spoke

Finally somebody who can appreciate the bonita.next, I'd like you to cook some carp for everyone.

I tried grilling some in the oven about two weeks ago with mild spices, butter, & lemon - probably not a very good way to prepare it. The blackened version you cooked up looks much better & whiter than than mine. I'll have to try it again... Despite the dirty looks at the dock.

great video! I eat them every time I catch one. I really love'um

"Old timers must of been pretty picky" Old timers had terrible taste, they like their steaks well-well done and it used to be considered inhuman to feed prisoners lobster more than once a week. Now prisoner's request lobster for their last meal.

Well done! These fishermen are crazy. Once a fish gets a bad rep... When you cut into is and it was red, how bad can it be? I have been in the keys for a few months now and if I get one it's going in the cooler. Thanks.

YOU are a Treasure to All Fish Connoisseurs & Fishing Aficionados ~ Keep Up The Great Work with ALL of Your Culinary Talents !!! Thumbs Up & Tasty ! Educating People is difficult ~ Thanks for Your Time ~ CHEF !

I never understood why bonita are considered trash fish. I love them and grew up eating them a long with small mackerel. I love them oiled in olive ol salted and then grilled over charcoal. Thats how my mom would make it and its wonderful.

Great vid. I had this cook with coconut milk, ginger and lemongrass, it was awesome.

Thats good brotha. And honestly for real. Yes! The southern way is to nail cata to a tree and pull skinn. Filet every cat the same. Dont use that long white handle knife. A smaller knife is good. It will glide through. Almost hold the knife in position and pull the meat through the knife. Life is good, love what u do

When I was in my late teens and in college my then girlfriend and future wife and I would fish off of the pier at Seal Beach in Southern California and we'd catch a lot of Bonita. I guess we were ignorant to the fact that they weren't considered a desirable fish. We'd take them home and after cleaning them I'd season the loins with salt and out them under the broiler basting them with butter. It was delicious. We were a couple of starving students and the fish was a real treat for us. BTW, we'd see others catching Bonita as well and no one threw them back. Oh, yes. I lived and worked out on the high desert and stayed with a friend who was always looking to save money. One day he came home with a case of canned tuna. I looked at the label and the fish was Bonita. It tasted every bit as good as Albacore. Nice video. Keep it up.

my dad was born and raised in miami. he ,my granpa and friends would camp out down on the water all night fishing. they would catch snook and throw them back. they called them soap fish,he said they tasted like soap. then they lerned to fillet them..no more soap taste.. the other story is about rock shrimp,the shrimpers would catch them and throw them back. shrimping got real bad and all they were bringing up were rock shrimp,they called them peanuts. they had a hard shell like lobsters. the old shrimp captain went home and invented a machine to split and shell them. he opened up a resturant,i think it was in melborne fl. i ate there,a long time ago. the old guy got rich on trash seafood. its all in the way you cook it...gator tail,rock shrimp,ect.

Once again it's all about the prep. Get that blood line out.! i have only fished with one boat that the Captain wanted to keep the Bonita. They sure do put up a great fight. Enjoyed the video...

Best video ever three types of cooking thanks sir

I don't know much about these fish But is there something wrong with the bloody dark meat Is it safe to eat or is it just nasty tasting?

i live in Japan and go fishing several times a year. I agree they are a great fish to catch, really nice fighters. If you are going to eat them then you have to eat them within 2 days of catching them or they get a very stinky blood taste.

Maybe in about the 70's, I used to buy canned bonita and actually preferred it over regular tuna for sandwiches, salads and casseroles. Back then, tuna was always packed in oil and the bonita seemed lighter and dryer somehow. It suddenly disappeared from the shelves around the late 70's and I still look for it from time to time. Perhaps good old marketing will change this?? My first husbands grandfather married a Japanese woman during The Occupation and whenever we visited them, I'd hang out in the kitchen with her and her most prized possession was a mandolin-type planer for shaving dried and smoked bonita(o) flakes into soup stocks,etc. YUM! Your preparation in this video made me hungry : )

All I know is that one of the things I live for is when they are around where I live, in CT and they are a blast to catch on a fly rod! Never ate one, but since I have no problem with Blue Fish, I catch those for the smoker, I will have to give it a shot this summer.

If no one already referred to it, check out an article in the June 2017 Florida Sportsman magazine about correct identification, and eating, three species of fish, each called "bonito". I enjoy your videos.

coconut oil... delicious and good for your heart. i do all my frying with it now

Awesome videos, I love trying different fish, especially ones people hate (and usually haven't tried themselves). Keep it up very informative videos

Bonita are excellent smoked! My Dad knows this guy who will wood smoke them for us . He takes half of the batch. Great fun to catch also!!!

Wow! I've been told the same thing my whole life they're "trash fish/cut bait", but i always thought they looked just like tuna. After watching this video, ill probably keep every one of them i catch! The blackened recipe looks fantastic! Keep doing what you love brother!

I hate to think of all of these fish I have cut up and used for bait. I was always told to not even try to eat it, I'm not going to be taking wives tales for granted any more. Thank You for this video.

Hey there .. let me tell you... Here in the Mediterranean, we get the bonitas in the summer time and they stay until fall. And right now after watching this... I can't wait to get some of these water missiles!! Let me give you a spanish recipe I love for bonita, give it a try and if you like it, feel free to feature it on your videos. You'll need: Olive oil, Italian green pepper, an onion, salt and a garlic clove, and of course the bonita. 1 st. step: Clean the fish just like you did and cut the fish into 1 inch dices. Also cut the onion , tha garlic and the peppers in thin slices. 2 nd step: On a hot pan.. pour some olive oil, let it warm and fry ( 10-15 min, medium heat) all the veggies until garlic slightly turns golden. 3 rd step: Add the bonita dices and a good pinch of salt and give it a stir until you visually see the fish chuncks are cooked... and enjoy!! 4th step (Optional): add some tomato sauce and let it fry with the rest of the stuff for another 10-15 minutes. This works great with a hard crust bread (italian type) to dip in that rich, healthy and tasty oil!! Let me know if you try it and how did it turn out. Cheers!

The Japanese dries them then shaves off flakes of dried bonito to make fish stock for other food. Tastes pretty good.

I like that you have wind guards on all your cooking methods

I've only used these fish as bait, when fishing for yellowfin tuna in Mexico. Good video.

if you soak them over night in salt water in the fridge it will suck the blood out of them and most of the fishy smell but it has to be salt water if you use fresh water the meat will get mushy

Thank you for this video I've cuaght some really big bonitas back in the 80's off the islands off the California Santa barbra coast . We always gave them away because my grandpa said they sid not cook or taste well. Well now I know to keep them. They are excellent fighting and beutiful fish. Great video.

In New York we have a trash fish called see Robbins and I used to catch a bunch of them for lamb throw them in the freezer and have them in the morning with grits eggs with cheese oh my goodness they are so delicious

Came across your page last night and have watched almost all of your videos so far. Amazing content and I am very happy to see you making an impact on people regarding "trash fish". I always hate when people say Bonita and Jack are trash because 9/10 times they have never tried it, I love bonita and especially Jack! Keep up the good work on expanding people's interest in different fish

We eat a lot of Bonito, here in Portugal and we love it.

Bonito is awesome fish. I love your video because someday people will waste less fish.

Japanese fish stock (powdered broth) is produced by the Bonito fish. I am not sure if this is the same fish or not. Thank you for your video friend!

Bonita is AWESOME!! I never heard it called trash.

I’m from Hawaii and I never seen a fish like that awesome and beautiful

I'm from the Virgin Islands and we been eating Bonito forever.

Loving these vids. Slowly working my way through them. Would be interesting to have an unseasoned grilled piece and a thin slice of sashimi just to see what the natural flavours are like alongside the enhanced stuff. Keep em coming. :)

Back in the day when right sized premier fish was found in large populations swimming in clean un-corrupted water it was easy to poo-poo lower quality species, but now when most of the ocean is over-fished and over polluted the majority of the preferred species are no longer the premier fish they once were, fish are being kept that would have been discarded back then, but the old prejudices remain. What was once considered a trash species can now be as good as the staple fish we've known growing up (Lobsters were once considered as bottom feeding trash).

Thanks for this post. I agree it is fine fit. Besides blackened, one of the way's I like it is to poach it, let it cool, then flake it up and make a salad the way you usually prepare canned tuna. It will be one of the best tuna sandwiches you ever eat.

I don’t understand why there is such a stigma with these fish.... I’ve been eating these fish for years and I’ve watched so many people throw them back. .

Highly prized fish in Japan. Fresh bonito makes great sashimi stewed gingered bloodline is also wonderful.

Is it best to bleed these fish rather than put them in the cooler ?

In Australia these fish are great tasting fish. I think people listen to other big fishing youtube channels who personally dont like the fish and start to follow them without actually trying the fish

Up here in Canada, gold-eye are a regarded as delicacy but considered catfish bait down south.

This fish has many names as it goes around the world. Katsuo in Japanese, Bonito in Spanish (Also in Japanese), Tulingan in the Philippines, Skipjack in US, (Also called False Albacore). Many people waste a lot of meat because of dark red bloody meat in a third to half dressed and fileted cuts. One writer recommended bleeding it before it dies. My mother used to soak the strips of the dark meat in ice cold brine 30 minutes 3 times, this washes most of the blood and lightens the texture and shade of the meat, appears like Albacore but not as tasty.

Bonito or Bonita is a close relative of the tunas and is sold as a tuna in some countries, in Japan it along with Skipjack Tuna are smoked and fermented to make katsubushi which is the basis for basically all of their soup stocks. You might in the future try cooking it rare to medium like you would a proper tuna.

people say u can't eat sailfish but they make great smoked fish I always keep the gut hooked ones

I have known a lot of folks that feel if they can't clean it really fast, it's trash. This is not true if you take a little more time and care, most things are very good. My Grandfather grew up on the reservation back in the 1920's and they ate everything that moved out of necessity. They knew the proper way to handle and clean things that most folks would throw away.

After you fillet and clean and cut out that blood vein. That look like a really nice looking piece of seafood that I would eat any day ....The blackened fillets looked amazing I would eat that with no doubt.... thanks for sharing thanks for taking the time ......people are quick to talk some negative s*** but I'm glad you pay no nevermind and just keep on cooking that awesome Seafood

here in hawaii those are called aku and are loved by many. the main way of preparing it is filet then cut into strips and sun dried for a day or two and you eat it like that or with something called poi which is a paste made from steamed taro.

Every fish is edible unless it's poisoness​ or something...Indian here from fishermen community 😀. nice video man 👍👍

I don't know why but I love this guy's reviews!!!

Bonita was by far my favorite nigiri in Japan. Can't believe people refer to it as "trash fish".

You are a better cook than the old timers

Awsome video. It's so funny how we are told something so we never try it. I will keep one and give it a try.

This fish is sold in Toronto No Frils supermarket for $8.80 per lb. It is very tasty, especially smocked. I really don't know why someone consider it as the trash fish.

I wonder how that'd be more medium rare'ish from the pan. Just stumbled on your channel. Thanks! I like the idea you've got here. I bet you got the good results you did because of your bleeding them out immediately. Smart.

I see all the right tools: filet knife, gloves for grip and a van of Natty Light! Awesome video, as always

bonita is some of the best sushi ive ever had and i am an veteran spear fisherman. The reason it is not in sushi restaurants is because the meat does not keep very well.

To be honest, I have eaten a lot of trash fishes out there, and the only trash fish I won't eat, is mud cat. It just tastes too dirty, and way too fish funky.

is it the same fish at the beginning of the video? Because it doesn't look bled, I can't see the throat cut.

In mediterranean cousine we eat it raw with olive oil, a bit of pepper and salt. It's gorgeous by itself! Anyway since the med sea is more salty water the fishes taste a bit different compared to the ocean, that's why we use different processing!

I enjoyed your show. I love fishing and really enjoy the cooking part. Keep up the good work! a fan!

In Cuba we eat it shreded cooked with spices and tomato pure and oil, a bit spicy. Then we eat it with crackers or bread.

For some reason, Bonito tend to stiffen-up and spoil MUCH, MUCH quicker than other fish. This is probably how they got the reputation as trash fish. It's very important to bleed the Bonito and get in on ice immediately!! By the way, not that it matters, I also pronounce it, "Bonitah"; but it's spelled, "Bonito."

Remove all the blood line and skin, not just most of it. Bleeding helps. Soaking the meat in a salty ice bath removes the remaining oily quality. It's as tasty as Blackfin or Yellowfin Tuna. I know people who can the Bonita in a pressure cooker using Mason jars, tastes just like canned Tuna without the metallic taste. I avoid oiling the fish, instead oil the pan or the grille. Bonita doesn't need any extra oil or fat. Marinades work good too but avoid the oily ones. Blackening definitely hides the fishy oily taste.