Want to do the right thing when dining at a sushi bar? Then forgo the toro (bluefin tuna belly), skip the monkfish liver, and say sayonara to that unagi (freshwater eel). Because, hard as it might be to swallow, three new sustainable-sushi guides—released through a partnership between the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Blue Ocean Institute, and the Environmental Defense Fund—are asking diners to lay down their chopsticks and stay away from these overfished species. Though differing slightly, the free guides (available in handy pocket and mobile versions) generally agree about which of as many as 60 seafood species are the best choices, worst picks, and cautionary options. Just what can you eat with a clear conscience? Sablefish, katsuo (skipjack tuna), farmed abalone, oysters, Canadian uni (sea urchin roe), and all the California rolls you desire. So go ahead and turn your nose up at inside-out, avocado-stuffed rolls made with surimi, aka fake crab. But know that when it comes to the environment, the fake stuff (made from sustainable wild pollock) gets a big thumbs-up.
montereybayaquarium.org, blueocean.org, edf.org