As the queen of anxiety, Debbie Galant, told readers of her Angst Report blog this morning, the Japanese government is now dumping 11,500 tons of radioactive water from the doomed Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.
Does this curb the enthusiasm of eating raw (or cooked, for that matter) fish, even over here in Baristaville? Will you sushi lovers seek other dining options? We know there are lots of fishy fans out there. Take our poll and tell us where you stand. If you plan to keep eating the stuff, name your favorite Baristaville restaurant.
If, like Jeremy Piven, it’s mercury in your sushi that worries you, the first 40 women to show up at Salon Organic between 11 and 1 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 5) can have their mercury levels tested free, courtesy of the Sierra Club. Women ages 18 to 45 are eligible. Salon Organic is located at 406 Bloomfield Ave.
Photo from Wikipedia.
I do not eat Japanese food, so I have absolutly no worries. Had it years ago, and did not like it at all. Tend to stick with American, Italian,and Jewish favorites.
Radioactive chemicals get into the ground as well and affects crops, grains and those animals that eat grains such as cows. So even if you give up fish, there’s still beef, vegetables and milk to contend with. If you’re an adult over 40, who knows how much of the stuff we’ve already absorbed during out lifetimes?
So go home, have a glass of wine, and chill because the worrying about it will kill you faster.
” worrying about it will kill you faster ” THIS IS SO TRUE !!!!
“Not at all — death by sushi is all right by me.”
Not exactly a fair comment there, Debbie. I would bet that the vast majority of sushi places around here use local fish. I have heard about the swanky sushi chefs in New York City who fly their sushi in from the Tsukiji fish market (and looking at their prices, the fish must fly First Class). But I strongly doubt any of my regular places are importing Japanese fish. Please don’t wish this on them — if there were people who read this blog and believed Joey D. is going to massacre the squirrels, then there are people who will take your cynical comment seriously and believe that all the sushi in Baristaville is radioactive. Sorry, just not funny.
I’ll have the radioactive yellow tail from Japan and USG BP shrimp to go please.
Big bluefin tuna are caught mostly right here in the Atlantic, than flown to Japan. They used to get their sea urchins from Maine also. You would have to think that it is only the real exotic stuff that gets flown in to our local places. Anyway, I’m off Fugu for Lent.
Sandy, you might like Italian and “Jewish” (Eastern European?) food more, but it will kill you much faster – your choice – alfredo or chicken fat. ( yes I know, you can get lean Italian cuisine but that’s not why people go to Italian restaurants ) Hummus is apparently a complete protein when eaten with bread. They call that Israeli food but it’s really Arab food.
PS – what’s American food? Maize? Gowanus canal oysters? McDonalds? I give up.
Most of the big Bluefin tuna in the Atlantic are long since gone, deadeye, overfished there as well as in all the other seas that support them. Pollution has helped wipe them out, but mostly it is gross overfishing. I don’t know if the Japanese still import sea urchin — I think they took the lesson from Maine and began to farm them domestically. If I look down the menu of most of the sushi places I frequent around here, I see bluefin (the domestic market for smaller, Atlantic and Pacific bluefin still exists) yellowfin, (which can be from anywhere, but usally caught wild at sea and flash frozen on the boats), mackerel, spanish mackerel, cod, scallops, oysters, clams, lobster, fluke — lots of fish you can find at the Fulton Market in the Bronx. That these fish don’t come from the Bronx bays and streams is also a very good thing… :>)
Hopefully, there will be panic about sushi & demand will drop. That would allow fisheries to be replenished.
Conan, Years ago I was flying between Boston and NY on People’s Express and ran into a guy I knew from college. His job was to go to the dock whenever big bluefin were brought in, and once the fish was graded for quality by Japanese buyers, he had to pack them up in a padded nylon case and get them to NY for the next flight to Tokyo.
@ Spiro “Gowanus canal oysters?” I believe that is an acquired taste.
DagT, from what I’ve read, the Gowanus Canal was originally a meandering marsh that was renowned even in Europe for it’s oyster beds, in the early days of the Dutch. That’s long before it became “Lavender Lake”. So yes, these days, it is an acquired taste. Of course, now, you’re lucky to find anything in there except bald tires.
I hate sushi as much as I hate Haband (’nuff said).
As an omnivore, I am deeply saddened. Food, food everywhere but nothing fit to eat. On the menu: GMOs and all that glows. I’ll probably live long enough to see them net the creature from the black lagoon. Blackfin on the table tonight!
deadeye, also years ago, I went on a bar-sponsored deep sea fishing expedition out of Gloucester, MA (you know, the ones where you stand six deep at the rail and try not to look at the four guys blowing beets and beer into the wind). The captain hooked a 300-400 pound bluefin on one of his hand-trolling lines. Everyone else had to pull their lines in, and for the next couple of hours he hauled that sucker in. The rest of the trip was cancelled and we all got our money back (and lunch and drinks at the infamous Crow’s Nest bar in Gloucester). The going rate for bluefin — field dressed but otherwise whole — was $30 or $40 a pound even way back then. It was iced for shipping right on the pier and the broker paid the captain in cash. This was back when $100K houses were mansions, so you can imagine what a windfall that was to a charter fisherman.
Great story Conan! Thats not something a lot of people get to see.