"albacore tuna" news and stories

Though I frequent my local Starbucks more often than I probably should, I have to admit that I've never had any of their food. I'm not a big fan of wraps, and the baked goods they offer really just don't appeal to me. That said, with the addition of salads to their regular menu, I may have to bite the bullet and try them for lunch one day soon.

According to one source, they will be releasing two salads nationally next week: a tomato mozzarella salad containing fresh mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes and basil, as well as a Southwestern variety containing roasted corn and black bean salad topped with grilled chicken. Apparently in the Chicago area they will be selling three different salads: a pipette pasta salad topped with white chicken, salami, smoked mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh grape tomatoes; white chicken in a Thai curry dressing on a bed of couscous; and a penne pasta salad topped with albacore tuna, sun-dried tomato pesto, Parmesan cheese, peas and sweet peppers. (Not sure why they are offering those just in Chicago - test market perhaps?)

In addition to the salads, you can also expect to see them pushing yogurt parfaits, a fruit and cheese plate, and a vegetable snack plate soon.

Source

Tired of tuna yet? I'm not. I could eat maguro and toro every day for a month. Okay, then I might need a little break because that's a lot of raw tuna, but I'd get back right on it, especially if you throw seared ahi into the mix and...shiro maguro.

"Shiro" translates into "white" in English. It's also called bincho maguro, but let's just focus on one thing at a time here. Shiro maguro is tuna, just like those ruby red tunas you see in the case, but the flesh is much much lighter, ranging from a pale peach to almost ivory white, thus the name "shiro."

Shiro maguro is one of my sister's favorite fish for sushi and she and I both get a little crazy when we see it on the menu or in the glass case. In sushi bars, it is often served as a specialty. Sometimes it is seared (like ahi), placed in its own special little dish, garnished with own special little sauce, and garnished with its own special chives. Now here's the thing. Shiro maguro is...albacore tuna. That's albacore tuna, as in the same stuff that Starkist slings in pull top cans at the supermarket!

An order of shiro maguro is $8. Eight dollars of albacore tuna could make tuna salad sandwiches for Mrs. Stanton's entire third grade class. For a week.

Eh. But you can't dip a tuna salad sandwich in soy sauce.