On the evening of August 13th, chef Kyo Nguyen and his colleagues performed a ritual to cut bluefin tuna weighing nearly 220kg in Hanoi. The activity is within the framework of Taste of Japan 2026, a series of Vietnam - Japan culinary cultural events taking place from August 13th to 19th in Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ha Long.
With the theme "Successful season to end dishes - Quintessence weaving", Taste of Japan 2026 is the third season of the program, focusing on introducing ingredients, processing techniques and Japanese culinary culture. This year, the program has the participation of Japanese Culinary Culture Ambassador Tomisawa Hirokazu and service expert Hando Tomoi.
The highlight of the event in Hanoi is the ritual of cutting whole bluefin tuna. The fish was bought at an auction at Toyosu fish market on the morning of August 13th, then transported to Vietnam by air. According to a representative of Hatoyama restaurant, if including the auction and transportation costs, the fish is worth nearly 1 billion VND.
To cut fish, chefs use specialized Maguro Hocho knives handcrafted by Japanese artisans. A knife about 1.2-1.5m long costs up to 300 million VND.
Bluefin tuna, also known as kuro maguro, is a highly appreciated ingredient in Japanese cuisine and often appears in high-end restaurants. According to chefs, bluefin tuna weighing over 100kg is considered a large fish, while the nearly 220kg fish belongs to the group of particularly large sizes.
After splitting, the fish body is divided into three main parts including otoro, chutoro and akami. Otoro is the belly part with high fat content, considered the most valuable part and accounting for about 10% of the fish body. Chutoro is located in the back of the belly, with moderate fat content, while akami is the lean meat around the central bone, with a mild sweet taste.
The ritual of cutting tuna whole is an activity that often appears in events introducing Japanese culinary culture, carrying the meaning of wishing good luck, prosperity and peace. Taste of Japan is held annually since 2023, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.
After the ritual, the meat and fish are processed into many dishes to serve diners such as sashimi, sushi, soup, hotpot, grilled and salad.
Also within the framework of the event, chef Nguyen Ba Phuoc was awarded a lecturer degree from the Japan Professional Chef Association. He is the first Vietnamese chef and the 9th person in the world to achieve the Taste of Japan gold badge.
