Tokyo | Tsukiji market: the world best fish market

Despite not hosting anymore the tuna auction, relocated in the more spacious Toyosu, Tsukiji market keeps all the frenzy of the glorious ‘recent’ past as the world’s best fish market.

There is absolutely no way to escape the temptation to eat some freshly sliced tuna, a plate of oysters, grilled fish or put yourself in line to taste a stick of tamagoyaki, the rolled Japanese omelette - and, trust me, you may want to start your early morning with some eggs before unleashing your hungry fury indistinctly on akami, chu-toro or o-toro!

As a Sicilian, I think I would have never said these words but tuna from Japan is the best in the world! I’m sorry for my fellow Sicilians but it is true.

Both Sicily and Japan have an immense culture in the matter despite treating the fish in completely different ways.

There is no Sicilian recipe (to my knowledge) that serves raw tuna while the Japanese one is a triumph of perfect and selected cuts. Eating tuna in Sicily is a journey that can bring you from pan-fried belly to grated or sliced bottarga, from lungs or tail cooked in tomato sauce to milt (tuna seminal liquid) served with olive oil and black pepper.

In Japan, the journey carries different names, Akami, Chu-toro, O-toro, etc, depending on the piece of meat and its level of fat. Whatever you will pick, I can grant you it will easily enter the category of the things to die for.

Ps. If you want to get a knife in Tokyo, Tsukiji is definitely the place. Many would recommend the area of Kappabashi, but it lacks a bit the ‘excitement’ and it misses the ‘right’ selection for a left-handed person like me! At Masamoto instead, in the heart of Tsukiji (almost in front the information office), I found my deba knife... and it was love at first sight!